Brad Miller officially signs with Rockets
Basketball Betting Lines
07/20/2010 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Rockets officially brought center Brad Miller into the fold on Tuesday after signing him to a previously reported three-year, $15 million contract.
Miller, 34, averaged 8.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists last year in 82 games for the Chicago Bulls.
"Obviously, it's been a long time coming," Miller said. "Ever since (head coach) Rick (Adelman) got here, I've been wanting to come down here. He's my favorite coach with his whole system...I'm very excited about it."
Miller was a two-time All-Star under Adelman while in Sacramento. He played five-plus seasons for the Kings before being dealt to the Bulls late in the 2008-09 campaign in a six-player swap.
"We've been looking for somebody to give us strong minutes at the center spot to pair with Yao Ming for some time," said Rockets general manager Daryl Morey. "I think Brad is going to be a fan favorite."
The Purdue product originally signed with the Charlotte Hornets as a free agent in 1998-99 and over 12 NBA seasons holds down career averages of 11.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists while connecting on 48.2 percent of his shots. He's started 592 of his 793 games played and also logged a brief stint with Indiana.
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Dodgers star outfielder Manny Ramirez was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday due to a calf injury. Ramirez suffered the injury in the first inning of last Friday's 8-4 loss to the C
<< Report: Spurs to re-sign Jefferson
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs are reportedly set to
re-sign free agent forward Richard Jefferson to a long-term contract.
Jefferson opted out of the final year of his contract on June 30 to test the
free agent
<< Miami signs G Jerry
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Dolphins have signed third-round draft
pick guard John Jerry.
The 6-foot-5, 328-pounder was taken 73rd overall out of Ole Miss where he
started 46 of 49 games, including 12 as a freshman, at right
<< Athletics reinstate P Braden from DL
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Athletics reinstated pitcher Dallas
Braden from the 15-day disabled on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old left-hander was placed on the DL on July 3 with tendinitis in
his pitching elbow, with the move retro
<< Gold Pride's Sinclair named WPS Player of Week
Santa Clara, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FC Gold Pride forward Christine Sinclair
was honored as Women's Professional Soccer Player of the Week for Week 14 on
Tuesday.
Sinclair led first-place FC Gold Pride to its third successive win and f
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels recalled pitcher Sean O'Sullivan from Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday to replace the injured Scott Kazmir in a start against the Yankees. Kazmir, who was placed on the disabled list
This Week in Auto Racing July 23 - 25 >>
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR is in Indianapolis this weekend,
and that means someone will kiss the bricks at the "big" track, while a lot of
beating and banging will go on at the nearby "short" track. The IZOD IndyCar
Series
Kang earns medalist honors at U.S. Girls' Junior >>
Village of Pinehurst, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Danielle Kang struggled to a two-
over 74 on Tuesday, but it was still enough to earn medalist honors at the
U.S. Girls' Junior Championship.
Kang finished 36 holes at three-under 141 at
UIC's Collins announces retirement >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Longtime men's head basketball coach Jimmy
Collins announced his retirement Tuesday after 14 years at the University of
Illinois at Chicago.
The move is effective August 31, 2010 and UIC director o
Thompson trumps Spieth for amateur honors at U.S. Junior >>
Ada, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Curtis Thompson posted a six-under 66 on Tuesday to
earn medalist honors after the second round of stroke play at the U.S. Junior
Amateur Championship.
Thompson finished at 10-under 134 at Egypt Valley Country Clu
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.
NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl
The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.
Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.
The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
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