Wizards buy out G James

Basketball Betting Lines

03/01/2010 - Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Wizards waived guard Mike James on Monday after coming to a mutual agreement on a contract buyout.

James has played just four games for Washington this year, averaging 4.5 points and 1.2 assists in those contests.

The 34-year-old Duquesne product has played for nine teams during his nine- year career. His best season came in 2005-06 with Toronto, when he averaged 20.3 points and 5.8 assists.

He has career averages of 10.5 points and 3.6 assists in 528 contests.

Wmozilla Basketball Betting News

<< Spurs part ways with Finley
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs announced on Monday they have released veteran guard Michael Finley. Finley requested to be waived since his playing time waned upon his return from a sprained ankle in late Ja

<< Wozniak reaches second round in Mexico
Monterrey, Mexico (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seventh-seeded Aleksandra Wozniak was a first-round winner Monday at the $220,000 Monterrey Open tennis event. The Canadian Wozniak was tied with Laura Granville at 3-3 in the first set on Day 1 when the

<< Timberwolves waive C Blount
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Minnesota Timberwolves waived center Mark Blount on Monday. The T'wolves received Blount in a trade with the Miami Heat for Quentin Richardson last August, but he has not appeared in a game

<< Patrick has much more to learn in NASCAR before her return
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Danica-mania in NASCAR is over...for the time being, anyway. The Nationwide Series received more attention than ever during the month of February due to the hype surrounding Danica Patrick's foray into stock

<< Richmond adds Trott and Coleman to coaching staff
Richmond, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - University of Richmond football coach Latrell Scott announced the additions of Bob Trott and Roy Coleman to the coaching staff. Trott will serve as the defensive coordinator, while Coleman w

Wagner fires head men's basketball coach Deane >>
Staten Island, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wagner College fired head men's basketball coach Mike Deane on Monday following a 5-26 season. In his seven years as head coach of the Seahawks, Deane guided the program to a 95-113 record.

James, Boozer take February honors >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for the games played in February. James led th

Blue Jackets acquire C Moore from Islanders >>
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired center Greg Moore from the New York Islanders in exchange for defenseman Dylan Reese. The trade is pending both players passing a physical. Moore has spent the season with

Earnhardt Jr. contributes $1M to Victory Junction camp >>
Randleman, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - NASCAR's most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., announced on Monday he is donating $1 million to build and maintain The Dale Jr. Corral and Amphitheater at Victory Junction -- a camp for children with se

Bears waive OL Pace >>
Lake Forest, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bears waived offensive tackle Orlando Pace, tight end Fontel Mines, and guard Tyler Reed on Monday. Pace, a veteran of 13 NFL seasons, started in 11 games at left tackle for Chicago last

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.