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02/10/2012 - Burlington, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski reportedly underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left ankle.
Comcast SportsNet New England confirmed the procedure took place on Friday morning, reporting that recovery time is expected to be 10 weeks.
The 22-year-old sustained the injury, called a high ankle sprain, during the third quarter of a 23-20 victory over Baltimore in the AFC Championship Game.
He was limited to two receptions for 26 yards in the Pats' Super Bowl defeat to the New York Giants last Sunday.
Gronkowski turned in a record-breaking year for the Patriots, setting an NFL mark for tight ends with 17 touchdown receptions. He also scored once on the ground and finished the campaign with 90 catches -- second on the team behind only Wes Welker's 122 -- for 1,327 yards.
<< Kvitova pulls out of Qatar Open
Doha, Qatar (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will not
play in next week's Qatar Ladies Open due to an unspecified injury.
The world No. 2 Kvitova was slated to be the second seed in Doha, behind world
No. 1 and Austr
<< Kerber ousts Sharapova in Paris
Paris, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Capable German Angelique Kerber upset top-
seeded Maria Sharapova in Friday's quarterfinal action at the Open GDF Suez.
The ninth-seeded Kerber upended the Australian Open runner-up Sharapova 6-4,
6-4 at St
<< NCAA proposals would enhance player safety
Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The NCAA Football Rules Committee wrapped up
three-day meetings Thursday by recommending several rules proposals for the
2012 season that are intended to enhance player safety.
The proposed changes include:
<< Report: West Virginia, Big East to settle lawsuit
Charleston, WV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - West Virginia and the Big East have
reportedly agreed to end their legal issues in a move that will enable the
university to leave the conference and join the Big 12 in July.
According to the Ch
Lifetime achievements awards behind this season's All-Star snubs >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For the most part, the NBA's coaches do an
outstanding job picking the reserves for the NBA All-Star Game.
With so few slots available there are always a number of players who are going
to feel slighted bu
Cavs' Irving out at least two more games >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Cavaliers rookie point guard Kyrie
Irving will miss at least the next two games as he continues to recover from a
concussion.
Head coach Byron Scott said Irving is getting better, but will be held
Lifetime achievement awards behind this season's All-Star snubs >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For the most part, the NBA's coaches do an
outstanding job picking the reserves for the NBA All-Star Game.
With so few slots available there are always a number of players who are going
to feel slighted bu
Penguins' Staal to return Saturday >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Penguins activated forward
Jordan Staal from injured reserve, in anticipation of his return to the lineup
on Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets.
Pens head coach Dan Bylsma confirmed Staa
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.
Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.
"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."
Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.
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