Brady sits out with left shoulder injury
Football Betting Lines
01/18/2012 - Foxboro, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady missed practice Wednesday because of a lingering left shoulder injury.
Brady has been bothered by the injury since last month and has been a limited participant in practice in recent weeks to rest the shoulder, but practiced fully last week.
He was at the Patriots' facility and spoke during his press conference about facing Baltimore in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday -- particularly about the vaunted Ravens defense.
"They're great players," Brady said. "You always enjoy going up against the best because you can really measure where you're at. You can't take plays off against them."
The Patriots listed 14 players as limited participants in practice Wednesday, including tight end Aaron Hernandez (concussion), wide receivers Deion Branch (knee) and Wes Welker (knee), guard Logan Mankins (knee), linebacker Brandon Spikes (knee), safety Patrick Chung (knee) and offensive tackles Nate Solder (concussion) and Sebastian Vollmer (back/foot).
Lansing, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The sixth annual Winter Classic will be contested between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at Michigan Stadium, better known as "The Big House." That's according to MLive.com on Wednesda
<< Manning leaves practice with 'stomach bug'
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning
left practice Wednesday with a stomach illness that head coach Tom Coughlin
was hopeful wouldn't keep him off the field much longer.
The Giants started their
<< Large field entered for Lecomte Stakes
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A large field of 13 three-year-olds has
been entered for Saturday's $175,000 Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds Race
Course. The mile and 70 yard event is the track's first stakes leading to the
$1 mill
<< South Dakota to face Northwestern, play five at home
Vermillion, SD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The University of South Dakota football team
will go to Northwestern and host five opponents as part of its 2012 schedule
under first-year head coach Joe Glenn, announced Wednesday.
The Coyotes will be playi
<< Alfredsson, Chara named All-Star captains
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ottawa Senators forward Daniel Alfredsson and
Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara have been selected as team captains for
the NHL All-Star Game.
Alfredsson and Chara will select their All-Star teammates
Sunrise, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Florida Panthers announced that defenseman Ed Jovanovski will undergo hand surgery. The procedure will take place later on Wednesday at Doctors Hospital in Coral Gables. The 35-year-old, who si
Rangers, Darvish agree on 6-year deal >>
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers have agreed to terms with
Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish on a six-year contract.
The deal, announced Wednesday, runs through the 2017 season. Financial terms
were not disclosed, but the
Blues reward Elliott with two-year extension >>
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Blues have rewarded All-Star
goaltender Brian Elliott with a two-year contract extension.
Elliott has posted a 15-5-1 record and 1.68 goals-against average in 22 games
(21 starts) this sea
Ravens S Reed limited in practice >>
Owings Mills, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed was listed
as a limited participant in practice Wednesday with an ankle injury.
Reed came down awkwardly on his left foot after jumping to knock down a Hail
Mary pass in
Purdue RB Pegram leaves school >>
Lafayette, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Purdue running back Reggie Pegram has left
the program and intends to transfer.
The Journal and Courier reported on Wednesday that the Texas native wants to
enroll in a school which is closer to his fami
Football Betting: Defensive Rookie of the Year Awards
Oddsmakers have released the odds for the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry has been made the opening favorite.
Seattle took Curry with the fourth overall pick in April's NFL draft and plan on inserting him into its starting lineup right away. The Hawks traded linebacker Julian Peterson in the offseason, so Curry is expected to have a significant role in Seattle's defense next year and that's one of the primary reasons he is the favorite to win the NFL ROY Award.
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook MySportsbook.com have made Curry a 5/1 favorite to win this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Given that he was the best defensive prospect in this year's draft and how he'll have plenty of opportunities to make plays in '09, Curry offers a ton of value at 5/1.
Another thing working for Curry is the position he plays. A linebacker has won the defensive ROY award six straight times and eight of the last nine years. Jerod Mayo, Patrick Willis, DeMeco Ryans, Shawne Merriman, Jonathan Vilma, Terrell Suggs, Kendrell Bell and Brian Urlacher were the most recent linebackers to take home the award.
Following Curry at 5/1 are Tyson Jackson (Chiefs) at 7/1, James Laurinaitas (Rams) at 8/1, Brian Orakpo (Redskins) at 10/1, Rey Maualuga (Bengals) at 10/1 and Jerry Peria (Falcons) at 10/1.
All the players mentioned above are expected to start for their respective teams, but Jackson and Peria are going to have a tough time being recognized on a national level given they're both defensive linemen. D-linemen rarely put up the numbers that it takes to win an individual award like the ROY.
A couple of players with some value are Clay Matthews (Packers) at 12/1 and Larry English (Chargers) at 15/1. Matthews is expected to start at outside linebacker in Green Bay's new 3-4 defense and could rack up a ton of tackles. English, who was an impressive player at Northern Illinois, is expected to be a situational pass rusher for the Chargers and could rack up a ton of sacks.
For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, see below. And for complete odds for the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, click the link provided.
2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award
Robert Ayers (DEN) 12/1
Ron Brace (NE) 25/1
Everette Brown (CAR) 16/1
Darius Butler (NE) 40/1
Patrick Chung (NE) 30/1
Aaron Curry (SEA) 5/1
Brian Cushing (HOU) 12/1
Vontae Davis (MIA) 30/1
Louis Delmas (DET) 30/1
Larry English (SD) 15/1
Evander Hood (PIT) 25/1
Tyson Jackson (KC) 7/1
Malcolm Jenkins (NO) 25/1
Paul Kruger (BAL) 50/1
James Laurinaitas (STL) 8/1
Sen'Derrick Marks (TEN) 20/1
Clay Matthews (GB) 12/1
Aaron Maybin (BUF) 15/1
Rey Maualuga (CIN) 10/1
Roy Miller (TB) 20/1
Michael Mitchell (OAK) 45/1
Fili Moala (IND) 30/1
Brian Orakpo (WAS) 10/1
Jerry Peria (ATL) 10/1
B J Raji (GB) 7/1
Clint Sintim (NYG) 35/1
Alphonso Smith (DEN) 40/1
David Verkune (CLE) 20/1
Jason Williams (DAL) 30/1
Field (Any Other Player) 6/1
To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.
SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting
NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.
That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.
A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."
It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.
The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.
So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."
Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.
Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.
Seriously.
The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.
The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.
Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."
The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts MasterCard needs.