Ellis, selected seventh overall in the NFL Draft, was named the Pac-10
defensive player of the year as an All-American senior at USC last season.
The 6-foot-1, 307-pounder started all 13 games as a senior, recording a
career-high 58 tackles with 8 1/2 sacks, seven deflected passes and 12 1/2
tackles for a loss.
The Saints traded up from the 10th slot in the draft to select Ellis, who is
expected to be at training camp on Wednesday.
In 48 career games -- 36 starts -- at USC, Ellis totaled 144 tackles (74 solo)
with 17 1/2 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. He also deflected 13 passes
and blocked a kick.
<< Marlins' Sanchez to start Thursday
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Florida Marlins pitcher Anibal Sanchez will take
the mound for the first time in over a year as the team announced he will
start Thursday's game versus the Colorado Rockies.
Sanchez last pitched for Flo
<< Report: Lightning sign Stamkos
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Lightning have reportedly
signed center Steven Stamkos, this year's No. 1 overall draft pick.
The St. Petersburg Times reports the 18-year-old Stamkos received the standard
rookie deal of
<< Maddux ends career-long 14-start winless streak against D-Backs
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Greg Maddux got his first win since May 10
and the San Diego Padres downed the Arizona Diamondbacks, 8-5, in the opener
of a three-game set at Petco Park.
Maddux (4-8) got career win No. 350 on May 10,
<< Greinke golden as Royals down A's
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Zack Greinke struck out a career-high 11 in 7
1/3 innings, and the Kansas City Royals downed the Oakland Athletics, 4-2, in
the opener of a three-game set.
Greinke (8-7) scattered seven hits and two runs an
<< Schnyder, Bartoli reach second round in Montreal
Montreal, QC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ninth-seeded Swiss veteran Patty Schnyder and
former Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli were a pair of first-round winners
Monday at the $1.34 million Rogers Cup tennis event.
The 29-year-old Schnyder was l
Delgado, Perez lead Mets over Marlins >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlos Delgado hit a two-run home run and the
New York Mets got by the Florida Marlins, 4-1, in the middle contest of a
three-game set between two teams battling it out atop the NL East.
Nick Evans had
Artest reportedly headed to Houston >>
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Rockets have reportedly landed
controversial forward Ron Artest.
The Houston Chronicle reports the Rockets have reached an agreement with the
Sacramento Kings to acquire Artest for guard Bobb
Inge leads Detroit over Cleveland >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brandon Inge went 2-for-3 with a two-run
home run and three RBI as the Detroit Tigers downed the Cleveland Indians,
8-5, in the second of three games at Progressive Field.
Edgar Renteria and Gary Sh
Donaghy receives 15-month prison sentence >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy
received a 15-month prison sentence Tuesday for his role in betting on NBA
games.
Donaghy, who pleaded guilty last August to conspiracy to engage in wire fra
Myers gets first win in two months as Phils edge Nats >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brett Myers looked like the opening-day
starter the Phillies were hoping for at the beginning of the year, as the
right-hander allowed just one unearned run in seven-plus innings in
Philade
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.
