11/12/2008 - Shanghai, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - U.S. Open champion Roger Federer and U.S. Open runner-up Andy Murray posted round-robin wins, while former world No. 1 Andy Roddick pulled out of his scheduled match against Federer at the $4.45 million Tennis Masters Cup. Murray qualified for the semifinals with his victory on Wednesday.
The top-seeded and two-time defending Masters Cup champion Federer was scheduled to battle the fifth-seeded Roddick on Day 4 here, but Roddick (0-1) pulled out of this week's four-player Red Group due to an ankle injury. The big-serving American was replaced in the field by 27th-ranked alternate Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic.
Roddick sustained the injury while practicing here on Tuesday.
"When I was doing a warm-up drill in practice I just went over on it," Roddick said. "We tried as much as we could to get it better."
The former U.S. Open champion Roddick, who lost to Murray here on Monday, is now done for 2008 and will return to ATP action in January. The American star went 49-18 this season, including three titles.
The 13-time major titlist Federer snuck past the veteran Stepanek 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 on the indoor hardcourt at Qi Zhong Stadium. The Swiss needed 1 hour, 41 minutes to prevail, which he did with the help of three service breaks, compared to two for the Czech loser (0-1).
Federer is now 7-2 lifetime against Stepanek, including 3-1 this year. The Czech stunned the Swiss in Rome back in May.
The four-time overall Masters Cup titlist Federer is now 1-1 this week and will meet the third-seeded Murray here on Friday with a possible trip to the semifinals at stake for the former top-ranked superstar. It will mark a rematch of September's U.S. Open finale, which was won by Federer.
Murray is 3-2 lifetime against Federer, including a 2-1 record this season.
The reigning five-time U.S. Open champion Federer beat Spain's David Ferrer in last year's Masters Cup final. The Swiss great is the only former Masters Cup champ in this year's field.
Also on Wednesday, the high-flying Murray mauled eighth-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-4, 6-2 in 1 hour, 33 minutes to move to a perfect 2-0 in the Red Group. Simon (1-1) shocked Federer here on Monday.
Murray broke Simon's serve on four occasions on Wednesday, while the overmatched Frenchman settled for only one break in defeat. The Brit is now 3-0 against Simon this year.
The red-hot 21-year-old Murray has won 16 of his last 17 matches overall, including some titles in St. Petersburg and Madrid.
On Thursday, second-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic (2-0) will face sixth-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (0-2) and fourth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko (1-1) will tangle with seventh-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro (1-1) in some Gold Group action. Djokovic beat Tsonga in the Australian Open final way back in January.
Djokovic has already qualified for Saturday's semifinals, while Davydenko-del Potro will decide the other final-four combatant from the Gold Group. Tsonga has already been eliminated from semifinal contention.
Davydenko and del Potro have split two career matchups, with the Argentine winning their lone meeting this year, in the Davis Cup semifinals.
Murray, Tsonga, del Potro and Simon are all making their Masters Cup debuts this week.
<< Jackson leads Warriors past T-Wolves in OT
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Stephen Jackson had 30 points, including the
shot that sent the game into overtime and two clutch shots in the extra frame,
and five assists to lead the Golden State Warriors in a dramatic 113-110
victory
<< Predators win in OT to hand Sharks first home loss
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ville Koistinen's goal 2:28 into overtime
lifted the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 win over San Jose at the Shark Tank.
Vernon Fiddler, Jason Arnott and Ryan Suter all scored for Nashville, which
halted
<< Frolov's game-winner in shootout lifts Kings over Stars
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alexander Frolov scored the winner in the
fifth round of a shootout, boosting the Los Angeles Kings to their third
straight win, 3-2, over the Dallas Stars in the opener of a home-and-home
series.
<< Iverson leads Pistons past Kings
Sacramento, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Allen Iverson posted a terrific all-around
effort in getting his first win in a Pistons uniform, logging 30 points, nine
assists and seven rebounds in Detroit's 100-92 victory over the Sacramento
Kings.
Heat take on Blazers in South Beach >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat will resume a three-game homestand this
evening versus the Portland Trail Blazers at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Miami has won three of its last four games and opened the homestand with
Monday's 99-94 victory ov
Lakers put unbeaten record on the line in The Big Easy vs. Hornets >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Lakers will try to remain perfect on the
season this evening, when they take on the Hornets at New Orleans Arena.
The Lakers improved to 6-0 this season with Tuesday's 106-99 victory over the
Dallas Maveric
Unbeaten Hawks visit Celtics in Boston >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks nearly stunned the Boston Celtics in last
year's opening round of the playoffs, losing in seven games to the eventual
NBA champions. Tonight the Hawks will try to seek revenge and remain unbeaten
on the seas
Pacers shoot for third straight win vs. Nets >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Indiana Pacers will shoot for their third straight win
tonight, when they pay a visit to the New Jersey Nets at the Izod Center.
Indiana posted its second win in a row with Monday's 107-99 victory over the
Oklahoma Cit
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.
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