Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
08/24/2006 -
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -The Indiana Pacers thought Al Harrington filled a need. Al Harrington just wanted to win.
The combination brought him back to Indiana for a second chance with the Pacers.
``I'm happy to be back, finally get back to winning again,'' Harrington said Thursday as he was reintroduced. ``What was it - 39 wins in two years and no fun?''
Harrington averaged 18.6 points and 6.9 rebounds last season for the Atlanta Hawks, and the Pacers gave up the future first-round pick to acquire both Harrington and center John Edwards in the deal on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old Harrington spent the first six years of his career with the Pacers before playing the last two in Atlanta.
Harrington is expected to start for the Pacers at power forward next season.
``His love for the game and his dedication to being on time, being early and staying late is one thing you can't question about Al,'' Indiana president Larry Bird said. ``We didn't want to get rid of Al in the first place. He was the one that wanted to be traded, and I understand that. We're very happy to have him back.''
He is the latest addition to a team that has had a major facelift this offseason. Bird said the team was still looking for a perimeter shooter and another big man to fit their new up-tempo offense. Harrington is one piece of the puzzle.
The deal ended weeks of speculation about where Harrington, one of the top free agents left on the market, would eventually end up. Harrington said he could've gone to Golden State, but the deal involving Corey Maggette fell through, giving him the opportunity to return to Indiana, where his family lives.
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 The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Life without Lelie leaves big questions in Denver
DENVER (AP) -Now that recalcitrant receiver Ashley Lelie is no longer their problem, the Denver Broncos will spend the next several months answering two key questions:-Are they better without him?-Are they better off without him?``It's tough to know
<< Dodgers' Little, Penny, Lugo ejected
SAN DIEGO (AP) -Los Angeles Dodgers manager Grady Little and starting pitcher Brad Penny were ejected from Wednesday night's game against San Diego during a lengthy argument that started when San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez walked on a pitch Penny thoug
<< Colts RB Mungro to miss season with knee injury
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -Colts running back James Mungro will miss the entire season after tearing a knee ligament during Sunday's preseason game against Seattle.Mungro, a short-yardage specialist who has scored 13 touchdowns in four seasons with the Colt
<< Steelers won't designate replacement for Bettis
LATROBE, Pa. (AP) -One of the intriguing questions before the Pittsburgh Steelers opened training camp was this: Who would replace Jerome Bettis as their short-yardage and goal-line specialist, the running back who gained a game's most important yar
Thome out for Tigers, Twins >>
DETROIT (AP) -Jim Thome is expected to miss the Chicago White Sox's key weekend series with the Minnesota Twins because of a strained hamstring.Thome was hurt during Wednesday night's win in Detroit and was not in the lineup for Thursday afternoon's
WR Pinkston set to make preseason debut for Eagles >>
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -Todd Pinkston isn't going to breathe a sigh of relief until he catches his first pass and takes his first hit.Pinkston, who missed all of last season after tearing his right Achilles' tendon in training camp, will play in his firs
Thursday's NHL Transactions >>
CAROLINA HURRICANES-Agreed to terms with C Joe Barnes.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 a
Raiders center doesn't need surgery, will miss 3-4 weeks >>
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) -Raiders center Jake Grove received good news Thursday when doctors told him he will not need surgery on his injured left shoulder and is expected to miss less than a month.``It's not as bad as what they thought it would be,'' s
In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.
It is called the "pointspread."
Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.
But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.
A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.
In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.
The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere for online football betting .
Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook betting credit cards
Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.
He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.
"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.
He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.
Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.
Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.
Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.
Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.
With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.
Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).
And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)
The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.
While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.
Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.
One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.
Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.
What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.
That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.
MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.
"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.
"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."
So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.
In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.
MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.
The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.
Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.
MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.
To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting