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03/02/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Coming off the worst shooting performance in franchise history, the Minnesota Timberwolves wrap up a five-game homestand tonight when they host the Utah Jazz at the Target Center.
Minnesota shot a horrid 29.6 percent from the floor on Tuesday in a 91-65 setback to Dallas. Kevin Garnett scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who fell to 1-3 on the stand. Ricky Davis also notched 15 points and Mark Blount added 10 points.
Minnesota's previous low for shooting percentage in a game was 30.1, set in March of 1990 against Denver.
Despite their recent shooting woes, the Timberwolves are just 1 1/2 games behind the Clippers for the final playoff spot in the West. Minnesota is 17-12 at home this season.
The Northwest Division-leading Jazz have won two of their last three after recently downing Memphis, 104-88, on Wednesday. Carlos Boozer scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead the Jazz.
Matt Harpring added 25 points and Mehmet Okur chipped in with 16 for Utah, which has won nine of its last 11.
The Jazz play the second tilt of a three-game road trip tonight, and will conclude the trek on Sunday against the Hornets. Utah is 16-12 on the road this season.
Utah holds a healthy 9 1/2 game-lead over Denver in the Northwest standings.
The Jazz have lost four of six and five of their last eight at Minnesota.
<< Raptors host Bucks north of the border
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Raptors are back home
and will welcome the Milwaukee Bucks to the Air Canada Centre this evening.
The Raptors are four games ahead of New Jersey in the standings and have won
three
<< Crosby again aims for mark as Pens visit Carolina
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Penguins will shoot for their second
consecutive victory this evening, when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes at
the RBC Center.
Pittsburgh, which is fifth in the Eastern Conference with 77 point
<< Ancic sidelined with mononucleosis
Zagreb, Croatia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - World No. 11 tennis star Mario Ancic will
be sidelined for at least the next two months because of mononucleosis.
The 22-year-old Split native, who lost to Andy Roddick in the fourth round at
the Austra
<< Sharks and Ducks meet for showdown in Anaheim
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A key Pacific Division clash will take place tonight at
Anaheim's Honda Center, where the first-place Ducks host the new-look San Jose
Sharks.
Anaheim enters the showdown with 85 points, five more than second-place Dallas
Hawks, Wizards square off in D.C. >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Wizards will try and stop a four-game losing
streak tonight when they resume their homestand against the division-rival
Atlanta Hawks at the Verizon Center.
Washington, which owns a 3 1/2-game lead
Magic pay a visit to San Antonio >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Having temporarily fallen out of the playoff picture, the
Orlando Magic will try to rebound tonight when they visit the San Antonio
Spurs at AT&T Center.
The Magic have lost five of their last six and are now one
Surging Senators, struggling Thrashers set to face off >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The red-hot Ottawa Senators will try for their ninth win in
10 games this evening, when they visit the Atlanta Thrashers at Philips Arena.
The Senators have gained a point in nine straight games (8-0-1) and are fourth
in
Red Wings begin homestand against hapless Blackhawks >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings open a five-game homestand this
evening, when they welcome the Chicago Blackhawks to Joe Louis Arena.
The Red Wings last played Tuesday evening against the Blackhawks and posted a
4-1 road vic
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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