Higgins, Panthers agree to deal

Hockey Betting Lines

07/02/2010 -

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) -The Florida Panthers have signed left wing Chris Higgins to a one-year contract.

Higgins was Montreal's first-round draft pick in 2002 and had 72 goals for the Canadiens in his first three full NHL seasons. He's scored just 20 goals in the three years since, splitting time with Montreal, Calgary and the New York Rangers.

The Panthers also signed right wing Bill Thomas and left wing Triston Grant to one-year, two-way contracts Friday. Both played primarily in the American Hockey League last season, though Panthers general manager Dale Tallon said each would have a chance to compete for NHL jobs with the Panthers in training camp.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 The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Online-wagering-casino Hockey Betting News

<< AL Central: Slowly but surely, Royals making strides
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Here's a trivia question sure to stump your buddies: name the team that currently leads the majors in team batting average. And no, it's not the Yankees, Red Sox or Rangers. Give up? It's ok, that team would be the perenni

<< Lightning bring back Kubina on two-year deal
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed defenseman Pavel Kubina to a two-year contract, bringing him back to the club he helped to a Stanley Cup championship in 2004. Kubina, 33, spent the first eight seasons

<< Paraguay will have trouble stopping Spain
Johannesburg, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Spain coach Vincente del Bosque admitted a few days ago "it's difficult to stop us" when we're in top form, so Paraguay faces a huge challenge Saturday in the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals. Spain

<< Argentina, Germany ready to move war onto the pitch
Cape Town, South Africa (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Argentina and Germany reignited a dormant rivalry four years ago in a World Cup quarterfinal that ended with a melee, and they meet again in the final eight Saturday at Green Point Stadium in what

<< Oilers re-sign Strudwick
Edmonton, AB (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Edmonton Oilers came to terms with defenseman Jason Strudwick on a one-year contract Friday. Strudwick, who turns 35 on July 17, played in 72 games with the Oilers last season -- his second in

Bobcats' Jackson vows to be trimmer, more focused >>
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -Back in the gym at the earliest time of his career in the offseason, Stephen Jackson is determined to become a leaner and more focused leader of the Charlotte Bobcats.Jackson is in Orlando working out as mostly undrafted rookies

Sunderland acquires Al-Muhammadi on loan >>
Sunderland, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has confirmed the signing of Egypt international Ahmed Al-Muhammadi on a season- long loan. The north east-based outfit agreed the deal with ENPPI for the player, w

Alabama A&M football player killed >>
Bessemer, AL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alabama A&M football player Maurice Thomas was fatally shot inside a nightclub in his hometown early Friday morning, The Birmingham News reported. Thomas, 23, and two other men were shot about 3 a.m. insid

Lions bring back CB Bly >>
Allen Park, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Lions have signed cornerback Dre' Bly to a two-year contract, the team announced Friday. Bly, an 11-year NFL veteran, returns to Detroit, where he spent four seasons (2003-06) and earned tw

England to keep Capello as manager >>
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - England's Football Association confirmed on Friday it will keep Fabio Capello as manager, despite the team's exit from the World Cup in the round of 16. Capello was under pressure after England lost to Germ

2007 Academy Award Betting : Oscars odds

The 79th Annual Academy Awards odds , which will air February 25th, is sparking an interest throughout the nation with the announcement of its nominees. As the public chooses their favorites, sportsbooks are creating odds for one of the biggest entertainment betting nights of the year.

Whether its at a “Oscar Party” or in an on line sportsbook, entertainment gambling on award shows represent a huge increase in betting. As the public speculation mounts, MySportsbook.com, the largest and most respected sportsbook on the web, posted odds on who is going home with a “Golden Best Friend.”

“ We see a majority of our entertainment wagers come from the Academy Awards,” said MySportsbook.com spokesperson, Tim Dalton. “This is a competition that applies to everyone. These are the people that entertain us on a daily basis and you want to see them win.”

MySportsbook.com posted the following odds for Academy Awards:

Odds to win the Achievement in Directing:

Alejandro González Iñárritu "Babel": 8/1

Martin Scorsese "The Departed": 2/17

Clint Eastwood "Letters From Iwo Jima: 4/1

Stephen Frears "The Queen": 12/1

Paul Greengrass "United 93": 15/1

Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role:

Leonardo DiCaprio in "Blood Diamond": 11/1

Ryan Gosling in "Half Nelson": 20/1

Peter O’Toole in "Venus": 16/5

Will Smith in "The Pursuit of Happyness": 16/1

Forest Whitaker in "The Last King of Scotland": 1/11

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

Penélope Cruz in "Volver": 18/1

Judi Dench in "Notes on a Scandal": 15/1

Helen Mirren in "The Queen": 1/50

Meryl Streep in "The Devil Wears Prada": 10/1

Kate Winslet in "Little Children": 20/1

Best Animated Feature Film:

"Cars": 1/3

"Happy Feet": 2/1

"Monster House": 20/1

Best Foreign-Language Film of the Year:

"Water" – Canada: 22/1

"The Lives of Others" – Germany: 7/2

"After the Wedding" - Denmark: 24/1

"Days of Glory (Indigenes)" – Algeria: 23/1

"Pan's Labyrinth" - Mexico: 1/10

Odds to win the Best Live-Action Short Film:

"Binta and the Great Idea (Binta Y La Gran Idea)": 6/5

"Eramos Pocos (One Too Many)": 7/2

"Helmer & Son": 5/2

"The Saviour": 6/1

"West Bank Story": 7/2

Odds to win the Best Original Screenplay:

"Babel": 7/4

"Letters From Iwo Jima": 3/1

"Little Miss Sunshine": 21/20

"Pan's Labyrinth": 11/4

"The Queen": 5/4

Best Motion Picture of the Year:

"Babel": 11/4

"The Departed": 1/2

"Letters from Iwo Jima": 15/2

"Little Miss Sunshine": 17/10

"The Queen": 20/1

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role:

Alan Arkin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 11/10

Jackie Earle Haley in "Little Children": 10/1

Djimon Hounsou in "Blood Diamond": 9/1

Eddie Murphy in "Dreamgirls": 2/5

Mark Wahlberg in "The Departed": 5/1

Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role:

Adriana Barraza in "Babel": 14/1

Cate Blanchett in "Notes on a Scandal": 11/1

Abigail Breslin in "Little Miss Sunshine": 2/1

Jennifer Hudson in "Dreamgirls": 1/8

Rinko Kikuchi in "Babel": 11/1

Film To Win Most Oscars:

Dreamgirls: 2/3

Pans Labyrinth: 6/5

The Departed: 6/1

The Queen: 11/1

Babel: 15/1

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest: 11/1

Little Miss Sunshine: 15/1


Additional sports and entertainment odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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

Betting Football

NFL Football Betting Online

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.