Celtics visit Clippers in finale of long trek

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02/25/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics conclude a grueling six-game road trip Wednesday in Hollywood, where they face the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.

The Celtics improved to 4-1 on the trek Monday in Denver, where Ray Allen and Paul Pierce thrived from beyond the three-point line and combined for 48 points, and Boston continued to roll despite being without star forward Kevin Garnett by blowing out the Nuggets, 114-76.

Allen shot 6-of-11 from three-point range on the way to 26 points, while Pierce made 4-of-7 from beyond the arc as the Celtics won their second straight since losing Garnett to a right knee injury last week.

The two wins were rather impressive, first a 128-108 win over the previously- hot Suns on Sunday. One night later, the Celtics were on fire again offensively, going 14-of-23 from three-point range while compiling 28 assists and racing to a 60-37 halftime lead.

Rajon Rondo contributed 14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for Boston, which won in Denver for the first time since December 7, 2003 and is now an impressive 22-8 on the road. The Celtics also exacted some revenge for losing at home to Denver on November 14.

Garnett will remain on the sidelines tonight and is expected to miss at least two weeks. Meanwhile, forward Brian Scalabrine, who started for Garnett in Denver, strained his neck in the first quarter and didn't return. His status for tonight's contest is uncertain.

The Clippers opened a short two-game homestand in winning fashion on Monday. Rookie Eric Gordon went 6-of-7 from three-point range to finish with 27 points and Baron Davis logged 25 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds against his former team as Los Angeles picked up a 118-105 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Zach Randolph posted 27 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who shot 13- of-24 from behind the arc to snap a three-game losing streak and improve to 7-21 at Staples Center.

Marcus Camby returned from a four-game layoff due to an inner ear infection and finished with nine points and six rebounds for LA.

Los Angeles was without its leading scorer, second year star Al Thornton, against the Warriors. Thornton missed the contest with a right foot injury and is listed as day-to-day.

This will be the first meeting between the two clubs this season. The Celtics snapped a three-game skid to the Clippers by sweeping the home-and-home season series a year ago.

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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.