Second opinion produces same diagnosis for Beltran
Baseball Betting Lines
06/30/2009 - New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A second opinion on the injured knee of New York Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran reportedly remains a bone bruise.
Beltran visited noted surgeon Dr. Richard Steadman in Colorado on Monday and the New York Daily News is reporting that the doctor agrees with the initial diagnosis by the Mets.
There was speculation that the injury could have been more serious, possibly a microfracture that would have required surgery.
The Mets had initially indicated that Beltran would be sidelined through the All-Star break, but the timetable for his return could be longer. Surgery could have potentially ended his season.
Beltran has been dealing with a balky right knee since mid-May, and an MRI exam performed on June 22 showed that the bone bruise had worsened over time. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list later that day.
The switch-hitting Beltran has a .336 average this season with eight homers and 40 runs batted in through 62 games. The 32-year-old has 11 stolen bases and a .425 on-base percentage.
Munich, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - General Manager Uli Hoeness has reiterated Bayern Munich's stance on Franck Ribery, insisting the German giants won't sell the French ace. The 26-year-old winger is the subject of speculation across
<< CFL Previews - Week One - July 1-3
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
TORONTO ARGONAUTS (0-0) AT HAMILTON TIGER-CATS (0-0)
DATE & TIME: Wednesday, July 1, 7:00 p.m. (et)
GAME NOTES: The 2009 Canadian Football League season kicks off Wednesday
evening, as the H
<< Chelsea closing in on Zhirkov
London, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Reports suggest Chelsea is on the verge of
sealing an $30 million deal to acquire CSKA Moscow winger Yuri Zhirkov.
Sportsmail is reporting that Blues owner Roman Abramovich has agreed a deal
with CSK
<< Brazilian Melo extends deal with Fiorentina
Florence, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo has pledged
his immediate future to Fiorentina by signing a one-year contract extension
which ties him to La Viola until the summer of 2013.
The 25-year-old has been li
<< Yankees acquire Hinske from Pittsburgh
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees have acquired utilityman
Eric Hinske and cash considerations from the Pittsburgh Pirates for a pair of
minor leaguers.
Hinske appeared in 54 games for the Pirates this season and was b
Barcelona, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Barcelona midfielder Xavi has blasted incoming Real Madrid ace Cristiano Ronaldo, saying there would be no room for him at the Camp Nou. Ronaldo is set to complete a world record $132 million
Safina, Serena, Venus reach Wimbledon semis >>
Wimbledon, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Top-ranked Dinara Safina, two-time
champion Serena Williams and five-time titlist Venus Williams were
quarterfinal winners Tuesday at Wimbledon. Fourth-seeded Russian Elena
Dementieva also won on Tuesday, a
Jeter still leads AL All-Star balloting >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter
remained the overall leader among American League players in fan balloting for
the 2009 All-Star Game.
Jeter, who surpassed Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan L
Blues extend qualifying offers to Crombeen, five others >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Blues have extended qualifying
offers to six players, including forward B.J. Crombeen.
Crombeen, claimed off waivers by St. Louis from Dallas last November, played
in 81 games last season, h
Pistons fire Curry >>
Auburn Hills, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Detroit Pistons president of basketball
operations Joe Dumars did an about face Tuesday and fired head coach Michael
Curry.
"This was a difficult decision to make," Dumars said in a statement releas
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.
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