If healthy, Blackmon provides versatility for Pack

Football Betting Lines

08/17/2010 -

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -Sometimes, Will Blackmon's versatility even surprises his teammates.

Exhibit A came early in training camp, when wide receiver Greg Jennings ran his route and plowed straight into a safety. Then Jennings looked up and did a double-take.

``He looked up and said, 'Safety?,''' Blackmon said. ``He said, 'I didn't know you were at safety.' I said, 'Yeah, they're not getting rid of me.'''

Blackmon spent the offseason preparing to move from cornerback to safety, although he'll still try to get some snaps at cornerback when the Packers deploy their nickel and dime defenses. And he'll try to play a featured role in the Packers' return game.

If he can stay healthy, that is.

Blackmon is less than 10 months removed from surgery on his left anterior cruciate ligament, the latest and most serious in a string of injuries that have held back the 2006 fourth-round pick out of Boston College.

Blackmon has been a sporadic participant in Packers camp so far. But he was practicing Tuesday after an extended absence, and insists he will be ready for the Sept. 12 opener at Philadelphia.

``It's not even a concern about the opener,'' Blackmon said. ``The main thing is just make sure that I do this, come back strong, do it right. Because I will say this whole injury is a nine to 11 month (recovery). I'm in month nine. So I could sit there, be cool and be prideful, and be like 'I came back in seven months, I came back in eight months,' tell them how strong I am. The bottom line is, six-seven-eight-nine-10-11 months, as long as you're ready by the first game, that's the most important thing.''

With depth issues in the defensive backfield and a need for a consistent threat in the return game, Packers coach Mike McCarthy hopes Blackmon can get back on the field consistently - and stay there.

``I had a chance to watch Will out there today,'' McCarthy said. ``He looks really good in the return game. It was good to have him back there. But Will is definitely a factor at the safety position and the corner position. It's good just to get Will healthy and hopefully we can stack some practices with him.''

Injuries have limited Blackmon to only 32 regular-season games in four seasons.

Foot problems plagued him in 2006 and 2007 but he had a productive 2008, playing 16 games and scoring twice on punt returns. Then he sustained a season-ending knee injury in Week 4 last season.

``Unfortunately and fortunately, I've gone through something before,'' Blackmon said. ``Obviously this is the major one of them all, but I'm still here, I have confirmation from the doctors that I'm going to be back to elite form. Because that was my main concern when I got hurt, it was like, 'Aw, man, will I be the same, will I be elite?' And then as I started progressing, I started getting more and more confidence.''

Blackmon credits a unique nutritional program for his quick recovery this time around.

``I grew up, I had digestive problems, I lost my mother to Crohn's, which is a digestive disease,'' Blackmon said. ``So my main thing is I wanted to make sure that my system was OK.''

So Blackmon said he started working with an enzyme chemist.

``I feel like that kind of sped up a lot of stuff,'' he said. ``Because for me having all my situations, like non-contact, like self-inflicted (injuries), then there must be something wrong with me internally, so we were trying to figure that out and we thought that was one of the things that could help.''

Blackmon admits he still has something to prove. It's one thing to identify the calls he'll need to make as a safety in the meeting rooms, and another thing to do it quickly and correctly on the field.

Defensive coordinator Dom Capers acknowledged that Blackmon is in a tough spot.

``It's been awful hard,'' Capers said. ``I mean, it's hard for a guy that's played the position not getting reps. But a guy that's making a move and not getting reps, it's extremely hard.''

But Blackmon is confident he can make his mark this season, both in the defensive backfield and on special teams, where the Packers are trying to create competition in the return game.

``The bottom line is, I'm still here,'' Blackmon said. ``They've still got to compete. I know what I've done. So I'm making sure I get myself back to full strength so that I can continue to do what I was doing.''Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Sktbook Football Betting News

<< Lakers owner still enjoying Hall of Fame induction
BELL GARDENS, Calif. (AP) -Relishing the afterglow of being inducted into the Hall of Fame last week, Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss was candid, funny and reflective when sharing his thoughts on his life, his team and the Miami Heat.Buss, a pok

<< Mets withhold K-Rod's salary, put him on DQ list
HOUSTON (AP) -The New York Mets are withholding injured closer Francisco Rodriguez's salary while he's sidelined, and the team wants to convert his contract to a non-guaranteed deal.The moves could be a prelude to the Mets releasing the star closer

<< Oklahoma's Hand out five months
Norman, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oklahoma guard Whitney Hand will miss five months after undergoing microfracture surgery Tuesday to repair cartilage damage in her right knee. Hand, the 2009 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, missed the ma

<< Rockies recall Chacin, place Buchholz on DL
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Colorado Rockies on Tuesday placed right-handed pitcher Taylor Buchholz on the 15-day disabled list and recalled righty Jhoulys Chacin from Triple-A Colorado Springs. Buchholz had previously been

<< Mets place Rodriguez on disqualified list after thumb surgery
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Mets took another step towards distancing themselves from embattled closer Francisco Rodriguez on Tuesday, placing him on the disqualified list. The move came immediately followin

Nolasco leads Marlins to shutout of Pirates >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ricky Nolasco threw six shutout frames and drove in two runs to lead Florida to a 6-0 win over Pittsburgh in the second meeting of a four-game set. Nolasco (14-8) allowed five hits, walked one and st

Buchholz strong on mound, Kalish hits slam as Red Sox blank Angels >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Clay Buchholz turned in seven scoreless innings and Ryan Kalish hit his first career grand slam as Boston downed the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 6-0, in the opener of a three-game set from Fenway Park.

Oswalt, Rollins lift Phillies over Giants >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roy Oswalt pitched seven solid innings and Jimmy Rollins drove in three runs, as Chase Utley and the Philadelphia Phillies downed the San Francisco Giants, 9-3, in the opener of an important three-g

Tuiasosopo, French lead Mariners over Orioles >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Tuiasosopo, not originally in the starting lineup, hit a three-run homer and added a run-scoring double to back a strong 7 2/3-inning outing from Luke French, as the Seattle Mariners downed the Bal

Prado returns to help Braves stay hot with win over Nats >>
Atlanta, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Martin Prado, Matt Diaz, and Melky Cabrera each drove in two runs to help give Mike Minor his first win in the majors, as the Atlanta Braves took down the Washington Nationals, 10-2, the opener of a three-g

Sportsbooks to bet on football

Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.

He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.

"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.

He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.

Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.

Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.

Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.

Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.

With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.

Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).

And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)

The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.

While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.

Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.

One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.

Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.

What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.

That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.

MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.

"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.

"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."

So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.

In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.

MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.

The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.

Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.

MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.

To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.

Terrell Owens could return for Cowboys next game
A bye week will allow Terrell Owens broken hand to recover just in time for the next game the Dallas Cowboys are slated to play, according to reports. MySportsbook.com, an football sportsbook, has posted football betting lines on TO playing.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger Sunday night and had a plate surgically attached to it Monday. Although Owens' hand was swollen and aching Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said he's optimistic the receiver will be back at work next week and catching passes a week from Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

MySportsbook.com online sportsbook listed Terrell Owens with odds of 7-2 (or $7 paid out for every $2 bet) to return back for the game against Tennessee.

"I certainly wouldn't rule it out now," Parcells said, referring to Terrell Owens immediate return. "Maybe five days from now I might, but I wouldn't rule it out now. ... I know we're looking to try to get him moving around pretty good in the next day or so. So we'll see where we are."

Owens did not speak with reporters Wednesday, but said Sunday he'd be out two to four weeks. A return against the Titans would be 13 days after the surgery. The Cowboys were listed as an early -7 1/2 favorite vs. the Tennessee Titans for Week 4 at MySportsbook.com

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