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08/16/2010 - Metairie, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Orleans Saints activated wide receiver Robert Meachem off the physically unable to perform list Monday.
Meachem took to the practice field for the first time since undergoing toe surgery back in May. The procedure was to fix torn cartilage in the second toe of his left foot which, according to head coach Sean Payton, he injured during the 2009 season.
"He seems to be progressing pretty well," Payton said after Meachem practiced for the first time Monday morning.
Meachem, a first-round draft pick of New Orleans in 2007, missed his rookie season due to a knee injury, but broke out in 2009 with 45 catches for 722 yards and nine scores. He's racked up 1,011 yards and 12 TDs on 57 career receptions.
<< NIT tip-off field, brackets announced
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The National Invitation Tournament announced
the field for its 16-team Tip-off tournament on Monday, installing Villanova
as the top seed.
Other teams in the field for the event, set to begin November
<< Heat respond to Haslem's drug possession charge
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat organization responded on Monday
to forward Udonis Haslem's drug possession and unlawful speeding charges
stemming from a traffic stop on Sunday.
"We are aware of the incident involving Udo
<< Mets closer Rodriguez has ligament tear
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez
has a ligament tear in his right thumb, and it has been recommended that he
undergo surgery to repair the injury.
Rodriguez did not travel with the Mets to
<< Happy days are here again for Harvick
Brooklyn, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Harvick was enduring a miserable season
at this point in 2009, as he sat 23rd in the Sprint Cup Series point standings.
One year later, "Happy Harvick" is smiling more than ever after winning his
third race
Cowboys owner recovering from shoulder surgery >>
OXNARD, Calif. (AP) -Cowboys owner Jerry Jones shakes so many hands and signs so many autographs that he recently had an operation to repair damage to his right shoulder.At least, that's the way Jones likes to explain it.The real story is that he hu
Dizon injury hurts Lions LB depth >>
ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) -Detroit Lions linebacker Jordon Dizon will miss the season with a knee injury while starting middle linebacker DeAndre Levy took part in some drills after missing most of training camp with a sore back.Dizon, a versatile back
Giants QB Eli Manning suffers big gash to head >>
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -Quarterback Eli Manning suffered a big gash to the left side of his temple and was forced to leave the New York Giants' game against the New York Jets on Monday night.Manning left the field at the New Meadowlands Stadium
Giants sign top two picks Brown, Parker >>
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Francisco Giants signed their top
two picks from the 2010 draft on Monday -- outfielders Gary Brown and Jarrett
Parker.
Brown was the 24th overall selection in June after batting .438 with a .
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.
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