A's extend Beane, Crowley through 2019

Baseball Betting Lines

02/07/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff says general manager Billy Beane and president Michael Crowley have reached agreements to remain with the team through the 2019 season.

Wolff told Bloomberg Television on Tuesday that he expects both executives to sign contract extensions within 30 days.

"I view them as partners as well as executives," Wolff told Bloomberg. "So if they are here another 30 years, that is fine with me. I may not be here to see it, but that will be fine."

Beane and Crowley both received contract extensions in June 2007 through the 2014 season.

Beane, of course, gained a reputation for building contenders on a budget since taking over as GM in 1997, while Crowley joined the organization about a year later.

Both executives are limited partners in the A's ownership group.

Actor Brad Pitt is nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of Beane in the movie "Moneyball," which was based on the Michael Lewis book. The awards are February 26.

Wwwkffl Baseball Betting News

<< Billups done for season with torn ACL
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Clippers guard Chauncey Billups will miss the rest of the season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Monday. The injury occurred with 5:48 left in the fourth qua

<< Saints officially hire Spagnuolo
Metairie, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Orleans Saints officially hired Steve Spagnuolo as their new defensive coordinator on Tuesday. Spagnuolo spent the last three seasons as head coach in St. Louis, but was fired on January 2

<< Gijon turns to Tejada for rest of season
Gijon, Spain (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Sporting Gijon named Inaki Tejada its manager for the remainder of the season Tuesday, days after he guided the struggling side in a 1-1 draw against Osasuna. Gijon fired former coach Manuel Preciado last

<< Yanks ink INF Hall to minor league deal
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Yankees signed infielder Bill Hall to a minor league deal with an invitation to major league spring training on Tuesday. The deal was confirmed on the team's website and Hall also posted the

<< Owen Nolan announces his retirement
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Former San Jose captain Owen Nolan officially announced his retirement on Tuesday. Nolan disclosed his decision during a press conference at HP Pavilion, the home of the Sharks, the team for which he spen

Billups done for season with torn Achilles >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Clippers guard Chauncey Billups will miss the rest of the season after tearing his left Achilles tendon. The injury occurred with 5:48 left in the fourth quarter of an overtime win against

Giants TE Ballard tore ACL in Super Bowl >>
East Rutherford, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Giants tight end Jake Ballard suffered a torn knee ligament in the Super Bowl, the team said Tuesday. Ballard tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the fourth quarter of

Memphis to join Big East in 2013-14 >>
Memphis, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The ongoing game of musical chairs in college athletics has its newest player. Memphis is expected to join the Big East in all sports for the 2013-14 season, completing the conference's goal of having 12 foot

Kentucky cruises past Florida >>
Lexington, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Anthony Davis had 16 points, six rebounds and four blocks, as No. 1 Kentucky cruised to a 78-58 win over No. 8 Florida on Tuesday. Doron Lamb scored a team-high 18 while Michael Kidd-Gilchrist finished wit

Ovechkin nets two, as Caps blank Panthers >>
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Ovechkin got his first post-suspension points, scoring two goals Tuesday night to lead the Washington Capitals over the Florida Panthers, 4-0. Washington moved one point ahead of Florida for first

Betting Football

NFL Football Betting Online

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.