07/02/2008 - St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Blues retained the services of forward David Backes when they matched an offer sheet the restricted free agent received from the Vancouver Canucks.
The three-year deal includes a signing bonus of $1 million, plus salaries of $1.5 million in 2008-09 and $2.5 million over the ensuing two seasons.
"Dave Checketts (Chairman and Principle Owner) was very supportive of this decision to sign David," said Blues president John Davidson. "David is a major part of our youth movement in St. Louis and we expect him to play a huge role as we move forward."
Backes, just 24 years old, notched career highs with 13 goals, 18 assists and 31 points during the 2007-08 season. The Blues selected the Minneapolis native with 62nd overall pick of the 2003 draft.
<< Pale Hose put win streak on line vs. Tribe
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox put a six-game win streak on the line
when the American League Central front-runners try for a series sweep of the
floundering Cleveland Indians tonight at U.S. Cellular Field.
Chicago kept up its
<< Mets send Pedro to hill in St. Louis
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-hander Pedro Martinez makes his sixth start since
returning from the disabled list tonight, when the New York Mets play the
third test of a four-game set with the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
Martin
<< Cubs try to get back on track versus Giants
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Dempster will try to put a poor performance behind him
when he leads the NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs tonight in the third test of
a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.
Dempster batt
<< Phillies hope to stay hot in Atlanta
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - If only the Philadelphia Phillies could play at Turner
Field all the time. Tonight, the Phils will try to improve to 4-0 in Atlanta
this season in the second test of a three-game series against the Braves.
Philadelphia swe
Meche takes ball for KC at Baltimore's Camden Yards >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Royals have been playing terrific baseball
over the past few weeks, and Gil Meche has played a significant role in the
team's surge. The Royals staff ace goes in search of a fourth straight victory
in ton
Kilmarnock signs Taouil to two-year contract >>
Kilmarnock, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kilmarnock midfielder Mehdi Taouil is
set to pledge his future to the club by signing a two-year contract.
The Morocco international joined the club on a short-term deal midway through
the last cam
Role reversal: Ex-Ranger Ponson tries to halt Yankees' slide >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Despite his success this year, the Texas Rangers felt that
Sidney Ponson wasn't a good fit for their club. He gets a chance to show his
former team what it lost tonight, when the right-hander tries to help the New
York Ya
Kuroda set to return for Dodgers' latest tilt with Astros >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Few teams have suffered more injuries this season than the
Los Angeles Dodgers. The club gets one player back tonight, with more coming
on the horizon, when it resumes a four-game series with the Houston Astros at
Minute
In terms of sports wagering, the NFL is "the most popular game in town." The explanation behind that is easy.
It is called the "pointspread."
Many years ago, NFL games, as well as the more popular college games, used straight odds as a vehicle for betting. For example, if the Bears were playing the Giants, and it shaped up as a competitive contest, the Bears might be, say, a 7/5 favorite. If they were playing an also-ran, it might be 10/1. Well, there is a point where a line becomes prohibitive, as far as betting the favorite. And who would waste money betting an underdog that has virtually no chance? Such a setup did not contribute to promoting betting action.
But in modern sports betting, a "pointspread" is used.
A NFL pointspreads are exactly that, a pre-established point difference between the two sides that will, for all intents and purposes, create a handicap that evens things out, and in doing so, produces comparable wagering activity on both sides of that proposition. So in lieu of a odds figure in which to bet the team to win outright, the Bears might be a three-point favorite over the New York Giants, and a 17-point favorite over the also-ran. Now that the team that is the underdog can "get" points, there can be equal action on both sides.
In sportsbooks, this is usually done with efficiency by charging the losing bettors 10% extra - in effect, bettors are laying 11/10 on those games. So they are actually betting $110 to win $100. If they lose, they pay the "vig." If they win, they simply collect.
The establishment of the pointspread as the corner stone around which team sports like football can be wagered upon was truly what brought gridiron betting into the stratosphere.
Don't believe it? Just take a look at what happens around the Super Bowl.
Stay with us here as we take you through the best in NFL action on a consistent basis, with advice columns as well as handicapping selections. If you're looking for college football betting, that's in our NCAA section, which you can reach by clicking here. And if you're looking for a different kind of football, such as the Canadian Football League, which we'll deal with occasionally, or the Arena Football League, which we really like, you can find it in our Miscellaneous section by clicking
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting odds .
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