Former MLBer Daryle Ward suspended 50 games

Baseball Betting Lines

01/25/2012 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Daryle Ward, who played 11 seasons for six teams but has been out of Major League Baseball since 2008, was suspended 50 games for testing positive for an amphetamine.

Ward, currently a free-agent minor league first baseman, will serve his suspension upon signing with a major league organization, MLB said Wednesday.

He batted .263 with 90 homers and 379 runs batted in over 948 career games for the Astros, Dodgers, Pirates, Nationals, Braves and Cubs.

Additionally, MLB announced free agent minor league left-handed pitcher Dustin Richardson was suspended 50 games for testing positive for several substances. He will also serve his ban once he is signed somewhere.

Wgrouplotto Baseball Betting News

<< Ohio State routs Penn State
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jared Sullinger had a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds, helping No. 4 Ohio State record a wire-to-wire victory over Penn State, 78-54. William Buford added 15 points and nine rebounds for the

<< Gallinari, Nuggets agree to extension
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Denver Nuggets and Danilo Gallinari have agreed to a multi-year contract extension. The Denver Post reported the deal to be a four-year, $42 million pact. Gallinari joined the Nuggets last season i

<< Red Sox sign P Bailey
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox signed pitcher Andrew Bailey to a one-year contract on Wednesday, thereby avoiding arbitration. Bailey was acquired by the Red Sox from the Oakland Athletics on December 28. Last sea

<< Suns' Lopez gets one-game suspension
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Phoenix Suns center Robin Lopez has been suspended one game without pay for improper conduct towards a game official. The incident occurred with 8:14 remaining in the second quarter of the Suns' 99-96

<< San Jose State extends MacIntyre
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - San Jose State extended the contract of head football coach Mike MacIntyre through the 2017 season. "In two years as San Jose State's head coach, Mike MacIntyre created a new dynamic that articula

Bucks C Bogut leaves with sprained ankle >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut left Wednesday's game at Houston with a left ankle sprain and did not return. Bogut injured the ankle early on against the Rockets while battling for a rebound.

No. 3 Connecticut thumps Syracuse >>
Syracuse, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tiffany Hayes drained six three-pointers en route to a career-high 35 points and ripped down seven rebounds as third- ranked Connecticut blew past Syracuse, 95-54 on Wednesday. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis

Nash rambles to career game, OSU downs No. 2 Mizzou >>
Stillwater, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Le'Bryan Nash kept rising up and firing from beyond the arc, and as each shot went down, the anticipation of an upset grew larger at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Nash hit three treys and scored 14 points du

FSU takes care of Wake Forest, wins 5th straight >>
Winston-Salem, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michael Snaer scored 18 points thanks to a perfect 4-for-4 performance from beyond the arc, as No. 23 Florida State kept up its streak of success with a 75-52 decision over Wake Forest at Joel Coliseu

Wizards top Bobcats in Wittman's debut >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Randy Wittman won his first game as interim head coach of the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. Nick Young scored 20 points and the Wizards took care of the Charlotte Bobcats, 92-75, a day after head

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.