Wizards want more magic against Rapids

Soccer Betting Lines

07/16/2010 - Commerce City, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kansas City Wizards forward Teal Bunbury called Wednesday's 1-0 victory at the Columbus Crew "huge," and hopes the team can build on the result Saturday night at the Colorado Rapids.

K.C. (4-8-3) won for the first time on the road this season Wednesday, and the result came against the Eastern Conference leaders. Although the Wizards still sit well off the pace in the standings, another victory could start a surge up the table in the second half of the season.

Bunbury scored his first goal of the season in the victory at Crew Stadium and goalie Jimmy Nielsen posted his sixth shutout of the season.

"I think it's a credit to everybody on the field, with all the work we've put in and getting the victory here is huge," Bunbury said.

"It means a lot. I kept hearing how hostile and tough it was to come here and get a win, especially with this drought we've been having."

"It was a great one-nil win away from home, and it's so important for us, and hopefully we can build on this victory and give ourselves some confidence," Nielsen said.

K.C. lost five of its first six road games, and tied the other, and faces yet another tough road test at Dick's Sporting Goods Park against the Rapids.

Colorado (6-4-4) had its six-match unbeaten streak snapped against Toronto FC last weekend, 1-0. However, the last three of those matches were draws, which means the Rapids are now winless in four straight.

Colorado lost 1-0 to the Wizards at CommunityAmerica Ballpark on April 10, but has played well overall and is tied for third in the Western Conference.

Rapids coach Gary Smith knows K.C. has struggled and, despite the Wizards' win at Columbus, feels his team has a chance to end the first half of its schedule with a victory.

"Kansas City have been down on their luck a bit and it's an opportunity for us to get back in that winning vein," Smith said.

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Betting Football

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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.