<< Perry wins for second time this year
Grand Blanc, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kenny Perry sure is taking advantage of Tiger Woods' absence from the PGA Tour. Perry closed with a six-under 66 Sunday to win the Buick Open, his second win this season. He completed the event at 19

<< Burnett outduels Reyes as Jays down Braves
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Rios drove in Marco Scutaro with the lone run of the game on a double in the sixth and A.J. Burnett was dominant through seven innings of work as the Toronto Blue Jays edged the Atlanta Braves

<< Mariners continue domination at Petco Park
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Adrian Beltre hit a two-run homer and knocked in three runs, and Ichiro Suzuki went 5-for-5, all singles, and scored twice, as the Seattle Mariners defeated the San Diego Padres, 9-2, sweeping a three-g

<< Marlins use two-run ninth to steal series from D-backs
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hanley Ramirez hit the game-tying solo home run in the ninth inning, and Jorge Cantu singled in Jeremy Hermida with the game- winner, handing the Florida Marlins a come-from-behind 4-3 win over the Arizona

Hurley leads Rangers over Phils with first career victory >>
Arlington, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Eric Hurley got his first career victory as the Texas Rangers downed the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-1, in the rubber match at Rangers Ballpark. Hurley (1-1) gave up just one run on five hits in 5 2/3 inn

Rodriguez moves past Jeter in AL All-Star voting >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez moved past teammate Derek Jeter as the leader among all American League players in the latest fan balloting results for the 2008 All-Star Game. Rodr

Riggans, Sonnanstine lead Rays over Bucs, into first in AL East >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Shawn Riggans went 3-for-4, homered, drove in two and scored, and the Tampa Bay Rays edged the Pirates, 4-3, to take two of three from Pittsburgh, and take first place in the American League East. Th

Buehrle helps White Sox complete sweep of Cubs >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Buehrle worked seven strong innings as the White Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Cubs with a 5-1 victory at U.S. Cellular Field. Buehrle (6-6) gave up one unearned-run on six hits with a p

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.