Bucks edge Wizards in OT

Basketball Betting Lines

11/05/2008 - Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Richard Jefferson scored a game-high 32 points for the Bucks, leading Milwaukee to its first home win of the year in a 112-104 overtime victory over the Washington Wizards.

Down by 12 heading into the final frame, Milwaukee was able to forge a tie on the heels of a 12-5 run to end regulation. The Bucks were able to outscore Washington 14-6 in the extra frame to take the win.

Jefferson shot 13-of-23 from the floor and had nine assists for the Bucks, who have won three of five to start the season. Ramon Sessions, who only appeared in 17 games last season -- his rookie campaign, scored 22 points and dished out eight assists in his second consecutive start at the point.

Luke Ridnour, who sat out the past two games with back spasms, posted a double-double with 20 points and 11 assists, and rookie Luc Mbah a Moute had 17 points, including 11 in the final quarter and overtime.

The Bucks were without star guard Michael Redd, who was sidelined with a sprained ankle he suffered Sunday against the Knicks. He is expected to return Friday against Boston.

Caron Butler scored a team-high 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting, and Antawn Jamison added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Wizards, who have dropped three straight to open the season. Nick Young contributed 14 points, as the Wizards shot 43.6 percent from the floor.

Washington attempted a season-high 51 free throws but could only convert on 34 of the chances.

The teams traded a couple early baskets in the overtime period, and the game was tied 102-102 with two minutes to play after Andrew Bogut missed a free throw that would have capped a three-point play.

After a steal on the ensuing possession, Jefferson capped a 3-on-1 with a one- handed dunk to give Milwaukee a two-point lead. Mbah a Moute gave the Bucks a 106-102 lead with 1:14 to go with a acrobatic layup, and the rookie from UCLA hit an important jumper on the next series to go up 108-102.

Washington would cut the lead to four, but the Bucks made enough free throws to keep the Wizards at bay and secure the victory.

Milwaukee took an early 11-2 lead in the first four minutes thanks to a couple Jefferson jump shots. Jefferson scored a total of 14 points in the opening quarter, and the Bucks took a healthy 30-17 advantage into the second.

The Wizards dominated the second quarter by a 28-9 margin -- including a 13-0 run to end the half. The Bucks didn't score for the last 6:34 of the quarter, and Washington headed into halftime up 45-39.

Washington widened its lead, starting the second half on a 10-2 burst. Butler had four points, while Jamison and Antonio Daniels each contributed three in the first few minutes of the quarter. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the third, and the Wizards headed into the final frame up 78-66.

Down 89-76 with 7:31 to play, the Bucks went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to six. Mbah a Moute and Jefferson hit jumpers on consecutive possessions to bring Milwaukee the closest they had been since halftime.

Mbah a Moute hit a layup on the next possession to make it a four-point game, but DeShawn Stevenson hit a three to put the Wizards up seven with four minutes left. Sessions had a nifty layup that turned into a three-point play to bring the Bucks' deficit to four once again, and a Ridnour jumper cut it to one a couple possessions later.

After a Butler free throw made it 96-94, Sessions stole the ball at the key and tied the game on an uncontested layup. Washington committed a shot clock violation, giving Milwaukee possession with 51.3 seconds to go.

Bogut made an emphatic dunk to give Milwaukee the lead with 35.0 seconds to go, but Jamison tied the game again at 98 with a floater with 21.8 seconds left. Holding for the final possession, the Bucks went to Mbah a Moute for the winning jump shot, but he clanked it off the rim, sending the game into overtime.

Game Notes

Wizards center Etan Thomas missed the game with an ankle sprain. Thomas sat out all of 2007-08 after undergoing open heart surgery...Milwaukee has won three of the past four meetings between the clubs...Washington turned the ball over 20 times, while Milwaukee had 19 turnovers in the game...The Wizards made just 2-of-18 three-point attempts...Milwaukee shot 49.5 percent from the floor.

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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.