Canucks D Salo out with torn Achilles tendon

Hockey Betting Lines

07/23/2010 - Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Vancouver Canucks defenseman Sami Salo is out indefinitely after suffering a torn Achilles tendon.

The Vancouver Sun reported on Friday that Salo was injured in his native Finland while playing a version of hockey called floorball, something which Salo has done every off-season of his professional career.

The 35-year-old blueliner played in 68 games last season, tallying nine goals with 28 points, adding a goal and five assists in 12 playoff appearances.

Since breaking into the NHL with Ottawa in 1998, Salo, who once boasted one of the hardest shots in the league, has compiled 81 goals and 273 points in 665 games. He's also contributed nine goals and 26 points in 74 postseason tilts.

Mysportdbook Hockey Betting News

<< Mika Miyazato leads Evian Masters
Evian-les-Bains, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mika Miyazato shot a five-under 67 to take the second-round lead Friday at the Evian Masters. Miyazato finished 36 holes on the Evian Masters Golf Club with a nine-under 135 and will carry a one-sho

<< Lyon signs defender Cris to two-year extension
Lyon, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lyon signed Brazilian center back Cris to a two-year contract extension Friday through the 2012-13 season. Cris, 33, has spent the last six seasons at Lyon and looks set to finish his career with the Fren

<< Beasley hopes to turn over new leaf in Minnesota
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Telling the truth has never been much of a problem for me, especially with things that really aren't going to amount to much when Saint Peter is making the decision on whether I'm fit to enter the pearly gate

<< Mainz goalie Muller out with torn ligament
Mainz, Germany (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mainz goalkeeper Heinz Muller tore ligaments in his right knee Thursday and will be sidelined for an extended period. Muller was injured in a collision with Benjamin Auer in Thursday's friendly against A

<< Reutimann signs contract extension with MWR
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - David Reutimann has signed a multi-year contract extension with Michael Waltrip Racing to remain as driver of the No.00 Toyota through the 2012 Sprint Cup Series season. Reutimann and team owner

Indians activate Choo, disable Laffey >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians have activated outfielder Shin-Soo Choo from the 15-day disabled list. He had been sidelined since suffering a right thumb injury in a game against Oakland on July 2 while att

St. Etienne's Sanogo out for three weeks >>
Saint Etienne, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Saint-Etienne forward Boubacar Sanogo will be sidelined for three weeks with a thigh injury and could miss the start of the French Ligue 1 season, which starts the first weekend in August. Sanogo left

Pavin joins Langer in lead at Carnoustie >>
Carnoustie, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - American Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin shot his second straight two-under 69 on Friday to join Bernhard Langer atop the leaderboard after the second round of the Senior British Open Champio

Vidic agrees to new deal with United >>
Manchester, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Nemanja Vidic has agreed to a contract extension with Manchester United, chief executive David Gill confirmed Friday. Vidic's current deal expires in two years, and he has verbally agreed to a new deal

Spurs sign first-round pick Anderson >>
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs have signed guard James Anderson. The Spurs selected the 6-foot-6 Anderson with the 20th pick in last month's draft. Anderson was named the Big 12 Player of the Year last s

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.