Benfals Basketball Betting News

<< Bobcats officially sign Kwame Brown
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Charlotte Bobcats made it official on Tuesday by signing free agent center Kwame Brown, which reunites the former No. 1 pick and new team owner Michael Jordan. Terms of the contract were not disclo

<< Wozniacki, Clijsters are top seeds for U.S. Open
Flushing Meadows, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Last year's runner-up Caroline Wozniacki has been installed at the top seed for the U.S. Open, which will commence Monday in New York. Reigning champion Kim Clijsters is the second seed at

<< Bombers' Whitaker highlights CFL weekly awards
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Montreal Alouettes running back Brandon Whitaker, Montreal linebacker Chip Cox and Winnipeg Blue Bombers kick returner Jovon Johnson were selected as the CFL's top performers for Week 8 of the 2010 se

<< Bolts' Lecavalier has knee surgery
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tampa Bay Lightning center Vincent Lecavalier had successful surgery on his left knee on Tuesday. The minor arthroscopic procedure was performed by Lightning orthopedic surgeon Dr. Ira Guttentag at the Florid

Eastern Illinois RB Williams sidelined >>
Charleston, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Eastern Illinois starting tailback Mon Williams will miss the team's season opener at Iowa because of a knee injury suffered in preseason camp. Williams will miss 2-3 weeks because of a sprained cruciate lig

A's shuffle roster yet again >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Athletics called up outfielder Matt Carson for the fourth time this season on Tuesday and optioned outfielder Travis Buck back to Triple-A Sacramento. Carson hit .195 over 16 games during his p

Bengals' Ochocinco reportedly fined for tweeting >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco has reportedly been fined $25,000 by the NFL for posting Twitter messages during Friday's preseason contest versus Philadelphia. Per the league's

Colorado to play at Columbus in 2011 >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ohio State football announced on Tuesday that it will pay the University of Colorado $1.4 million to play in Columbus next season. "This will be a great contest between two outstanding BCS teams that

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.