Top Shelf: Blue Jackets can't keep Nash forever

Hockey Betting Lines

02/14/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - With the NHL's trade deadline less than two weeks away, the rumor mill is churning faster and faster every day. On Monday, it finally spun out a name worth getting excited about.

For the most part, the deadline is used by some NHL teams to add depth needed for a playoff push, while teams who aren't in postseason contention try to sell off veteran assets to acquire cheaper prospects.

It's pretty rare that a bona-fide superstar is put on the block, but with the recent addition of Columbus forward Rick Nash to the mix, there could be a legitimate superstar to be had before the Feb. 27 deadline.

According to RDS, Canada's French-language equivalent of TSN, the Blue Jackets are open to trading Nash to a host of potential suitors. Of course, Columbus general manager Scott Howson will not confirm or deny the report, but the mere suggestion that Nash is available is enough to set off a race to acquire the sniper's services.

If the report is true and Columbus is seriously considering offers for Nash, it would seem that the New York Rangers would be one of the main suitors. The Rangers are the top team in the Eastern Conference, but the Blueshirts have done it more with defense and acquiring a big-time offensive talent like Nash could be the difference in winning a Stanley Cup or coming up short.

Landing Nash would most likely require New York to part with coveted forward prospect and current Boston College standout Chris Kreider. And that's just a starting point, as the Rangers would almost certainly have to include a player from their current NHL roster (Brandon Dubinsky's name has been mentioned already) and Columbus also will likely be seeking a first-round draft pick as well.

But, the Rangers won't be the only team dialing Howson's number in the coming weeks, and in the end, Nash's no-trade clause will ensure he has the final say on any potential trade.

Since being taken first overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2002 draft. Nash has become synonymous with Columbus hockey. However, through little fault of his own, Columbus hockey itself is synonymous with being a perennial doormat.

A five-time All-Star, Nash has averaged over 32 goals a season since breaking into the league in 2002-03. A one-man show, Nash has led the team in goals every year since his second season and that includes 2005-06, when he paced the Jackets with 31 goals despite playing in just 54 games. And, yes, the 27- year-old is leading Columbus in goals once again this season with 18 markers.

So what has changed now for the Blue Jackets that has reportedly led them to consider dealing Nash? In reality, the reason for his sudden availability is that nothing has ever changed in Columbus. The franchise has qualified for the postseason just once since entering the league as an expansion team in 2000 and with an NHL-low 38 points through 56 games this season, the Jackets are all but assured of going into the offseason early yet again.

For a franchise that has pretty much done nothing but lose since it came into existence, the club's failures this season have been especially hard to take. Columbus made waves in the offseason, signing defenseman James Wisniewski to a six-year, $33 million deal and acquiring centerman Jeff Carter in a blockbuster trade with Philadelphia.

Both Wisniewski and Carter have been dogged by injuries this year and neither is having a banner season. But, Carter has really been the fly in the ointment for Columbus. The former Flyer got off to an awkward start with his new club in the summer when he was unhappy with being dealt to Columbus and his 12 goals and eight assists in 35 games this season are a clear indicator that Carter has let his personal feelings get in the way of his play.

It's not surprising the Blue Jackets are actively trying to pass the disgruntled Carter onto another team before the trade deadline, but his failure to catch on in Columbus also has greased the wheels for Nash's potential departure. Nash was supposed to benefit from finally having a top- line centerman like Carter, but the two have obviously failed to develop chemistry, a fact that isn't all that surprising since Carter has always been better at scoring goals than setting up his linemates.

It's hard to keep a talent like Nash when Columbus seems to be forever stuck in a holding pattern. The Blue Jackets had full intentions of building a team around Nash, as evidenced by the eight-year, $62 million extension he signed in the summer of 2009, but it simply hasn't worked.

With the way the club has floundered again this season, Columbus is staring at yet another a rebuilding project and it just doesn't make much sense for the team or Nash to go through that process together. It's hard to rebuild what was never built in the first place and while dealing away the only game- changing piece the franchise ever had may seem counter-productive, both Nash and Columbus could benefit greatly from a fresh start.

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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.

Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament odds  
As of February 9, MySportsbook.com has released its coveted 2007 Mens NCAA Basketball Tournament betting odds. “March Madness betting ” only a month away, the top ranked Florida Gators are favorite at 7-2 to win it all. The defending champs have not disappointed at all this season and currently have a 22-2 record and are undefeated (9-0) in SEC play. The Gators’ thrive off of their extremely balanced, experienced and versatile attack. All five starters started in last seasons National Championship game. What is most impressive with this group is their balance; the five starters all average between 10.7 and 13.6 PPG. The Gators have been on an absolute roll having won 15 straight by an average of 16.4 PPG.

Right behind the Gators are the 5th ranked UNC Tar Heels at 9-2. The Heels (21-3, 7-2) are absolutely loaded with top notch talent and are as deep as any team in the country. A concern for the Tar Heels might be inexperience. Of their top four scorers/ minute earners, three are freshmen and the other is a sophomore. The rest of the regular season, the Tar Heels play only one team that is currently ranked (Duke). Their remaining opponents do combine for an impressive 107-58 record though.

Other teams that the MySportsbook.com members seem to believe will win it all include the west coasts’ top team #2 UCLA (6-1), #3 OSU behind man-child Greg Oden (8-1), and #4 Wisconsin (10-1) behind their defense which has given up 70+ points only three times all season.

Below is a list of some of the favorites to win the 2007 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship lines. For the full list of teams and March Madness odds be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com. If you want to use your credit card to bet on college hoops or any other event, MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.

Arizona 20-1

Butler 20-1

Duke 30-1

Florida 7-2

Georgetown 30-1

Indiana 35-1

Kansas 15-1

Marquette 25-1

Maryland 40-1

Memphis 50-1

Nevada 50-1

UNC 9-2

OSU 8-1

Oregon 30-1

Pittsburgh 15-1

Texas 30-1

Texas A&M 18-1

UCLA 6-1

Wisconsin 10-1

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook betting needs.