Above the 49: No big names expected to move north on deadline day

Hockey Betting Lines

02/21/2012 - Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NHL trade deadline on Feb. 27 promises to be one of the most compelling deadline days in years, but not so much if you happen to be a fan of one of the seven teams north of the border.

Among the big names rumored in play this season include Columbus' Rick Nash and Jeff Carter, Anaheim's Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan, Phoenix's Shane Doan and Washington's Alexander Semin, but don't expect any of them to be swapping zip codes for postal codes in the near future.

Only one Canadian team - Vancouver - has virtually guaranteed itself of a spot in the postseason picture, but the Canucks are nowhere in the discussion when it comes to one of the marquee names floating around.

Vancouver would ideally like to add a top-four defenseman or a power forward before the deadline, but it's hamstrung by salary cap concerns and is not likely to part with backup netminder Cory Schneider, who is the Canucks' biggest asset in a potential deal. Mason Raymond's name also has come up in trade speculation.

Toronto has been floated as a potential destination for Nash and would have the ability to maneuver his contract into its lineup, but the Maple Leafs simply don't possess the assets Columbus will demand in return for dealing away its poster boy - namely an elite forward (with the exception of Phil Kessel), a blue-chip prospect and a franchise netminder to replace the struggling Steve Mason.

The Leafs are barely hanging on to a spot in the top eight in the Eastern Conference and may be in selling mode by the time the deadline rolls around. Their 6-2 spanking at the hands of the Canucks on Saturday should quash any thoughts about them being a legitimate Cup contender even with the addition of Nash or another top-tier forward.

Selling season has already begun in Montreal with the Canadiens shipping defenseman Hal Gill to the Nashville Predators last Friday. They'll be trying to move out several more impending unrestricted free agents before the deadline in forwards Andrei Kostitsyn and Travis Moen and defenseman Chris Campoli.

Meanwhile, a major fire sale is expected in Edmonton with Ales Hemsky at the top of the exodus list.

Calgary and Ottawa are likely to remain in a holding pattern through the deadline with the exception of perhaps a few minor upgrades with playoff spots within grasp, but not to the point where they'd be willing to mortgage the future.

Winnipeg has done an admirable job sticking around in the playoff conversation, but the Jets are more likely to go the route of a seller as opposed to be a deadline buyer.

The last Canadian team to add a marquee player at the deadline was the Calgary Flames, who plucked top-line center Olli Jokinen from the Coyotes back in 2009.

Jokinen had eight goals and 15 points in 19 regular-season games down the stretch for the Flames, guiding them to a fifth-place finish in the Western Conference. He was the team leader in playoff points that season, notching five points (2-3-5) in six games in their opening-round series loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

Starbuck-casino Hockey Betting News

<< Kehl extends contract with Dortmund
Dortmund, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Borussia Dortmund captain Sebastian Kehl signed a one-year contract extension Tuesday with an option for a second year. The 32-year-old Kehl's contract was set to expire after this season, but has now

<< West Brom signs Dawson to new 3 1/2-year deal
West Bromwich, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - West Bromwich signed defender Craig Dawson to a new 3 1/2-season contract Tuesday with a club option for a fourth season. The 21-year-old Dawson joined West Brom in 2010 from Rochdale, but was loa

<< Inside the CFL: All or nothing
Hamilton, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It's a quote that can come back and bite you. "The (Hamilton) Tiger-Cats are on the threshold of being the type of team to win the Grey Cup." Those words came from Hamilton general manager Bob O'Billovich at

<< Johnson to sit next two games for Atlanta
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta Hawks guard Joe Johnson will miss the team's next two games because of a knee injury. The Hawks had initially stated Tuesday that Johnson would be listed as doubtful for Wednesday's game at

<< CSKA stuns Real Madrid with late equalizer
Moscow, Russia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Madrid was left stunned in Moscow as CSKA Moscow struck with a late equalizer to come away from the Luzhniki Stadium with a 1-1 draw in Champions League play on Tuesday. Cristiano Ronaldo th

Georgia State to study potential move to FBS >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Georgia State is moving from independent status to CAA Football membership this season. The university may have an even bigger move in the future. Georgia State announced Tuesday it has commissioned Collegiat

Cesena names Beretta new coach >>
Cesena, Italy (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cesena named Mario Beretta its third coach of the season Tuesday, one day after Daniele Arrigoni was fired. Cesena is last in Serie A and seven points from safety after Sunday's 3-1 loss to AC Milan, which c

Radwanska, Ivanovic advance; Bartoli exits Dubai >>
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska and former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic moved on, while sixth-seeded Marion Bartoli was a first-round upset victim Tuesday at the $2 million Dubai D

Gasquet wins Open 13 opener >>
Marseille, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - French crowd favorite Richard Gasquet was an easy first-round winner Tuesday at the Open 13 tennis event. The fifth-seeded Gasquet rolled past Japan's Go Soeda 6-0, 6-2 in 63 minutes on the indoor hard

Up the backstretch: Turf horse took to Golden Gate's artificial track >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A 3-year-old colt that had never won a race except on the grass came away Saturday with a key victory on a synthetic surface. The change in surfaces for Daddy Nose Best proved to be beneficial for him to win

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.