Blair, who was the club's supplemental first round pick, 46th overall, in last
month's draft, will report to Single-A Batavia in the New York-Penn League.
The 21-year-old was 12-1 with a 3.64 earned-run average over 18 starts at
Arizona State this year. He struck out 108 while issuing just 29 walks and
earned Pac-10 pitcher of the year honors.
<< Isles acquire D Wisniewski from Ducks
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Anaheim Ducks traded newly signed
defenseman James Wisniewski to the New York Islanders for a conditional third-
round pick in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.
Earlier Friday, the 26-year-old Wisniews
<< A's sign first-round selection Choice
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Oakland Athletics have signed their top
pick of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, outfielder Michael Choice, to a
minor league contract.
Choice was taken 10th overall in the first round.
He was
<< Yankees appear set to acquire Berkman from Astros
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees are reportedly set
to acquire Lance Berkman from the Houston Astros.
A story from MLB.com cites a source in reporting the impending deal, adding
that Berkman gave general manag
<< Stewart tops in qualifying at Pocono
Long Pond, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tony Stewart claimed the pole for Sunday's
Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 after posting the quickest lap in qualifying
at Pocono Raceway.
Stewart, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, turned a lap of
<< Twins send P Blackburn to minors, place INF Punto on DL
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Twins demoted pitcher Nick
Blackburn to Triple-A Rochester on Friday to make room for newly acquired
reliever Matt Capps.
Blackburn, who received a four-year, $14 million contract la
Padres option Cunningham to Portland >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres on Friday optioned
outfielder Aaron Cunningham to Triple-A Portland.
Cunningham was batting .312 with a home run and 13 RBI in 30 games this season
for the Padres.
The outfielde
Overton shoots 62 for Greenbrier Classic lead >>
White Sulphur Springs, WV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff Overton fired an eight-under
62 on Friday to take four-shot lead midway through The Greenbrier Classic.
Chasing his first PGA Tour win, Overton had eight birdies in a flawless round
and fini
Lions president Lewand suspended, fined >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Detroit Lions president Tom Lewand has been
given a 30-day suspension and $100,000 fine following his drunken-driving
arrest last month.
Lewand was arrested June 25 after a charity golf tournamen
Blackhawks ink former first-rounder Leddy >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Blackhawks on Friday signed
defenseman Nick Leddy to a three-year contract.
Leddy came over from Minnesota on February 12 in the trade that sent Cam
Barker to the Wild. He was taken 16
Detroit P Galarraga leaves game >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Detroit Tigers starter Armando Galarraga left
Friday's game with the Boston Red Sox due to an apparent right ankle injury.
Galarraga was struck by a line drive off the bat of Boston's Kevin Youkilis
with two o
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.