The Oregonian newspaper reported team owner Paul Allen made the move less than
an hour before the NBA Draft was set to begin Thursday night.
The 43-year-old Pritchard was promoted to general manager in March of 2007. A
source told the Oregonian that Pritchard's final day on the job would be
Thursday when he conducts the draft for the Blazers.
This is the second big move made in Portland's front office. The team
dismissed Tom Penn as vice president of basketball operations in March.
The Trail Blazers finished 50-32 last season, but lost in the first round of
the Western Conference playoffs. The team hasn't made it past round one since
2000.
<< Report: Celtics forward Wallace to retire
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston Celtics forward Rasheed Wallace has
reportedly decided to end his NBA career after 15 years in the league.
Speculation was building that Wallace would retire after the Celtics lost to
the Los Ang
<< Kerr in 3-way tie for lead at LPGA Championship
Pittsford, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cristie Kerr shot a four-under 68 to earn a
share of the lead Thursday after the first round of the LPGA Championship, the
year's second major.
Playing in the afternoon, Kerr carded five birdies and one bog
<< Wizards choose Wall with No. 1 pick
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Washington Wizards selected Kentucky point
guard John Wall with the first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.
The 6-foot-4 Wall, the first Kentucky player selected No. 1 overall, completed
his first colleg
<< Byrd's RBI single in 13th helps Cubs cool off M's
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marlon Byrd singled home the winning run in the
13th inning, as the Cubs clipped Seattle, 3-2, to end the resurgent Mariners'
winning streak and avoid a three-game sweep.
Chad Tracy and Mike Fontenot also go
<< Report: Bulls agree to trade Hinrich to Wizards
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bulls have reportedly agreed to
trade guard Kirk Hinrich and the 17th overall pick in tonight's NBA Draft to
the Washington Wizards.
The deal can only be viewed as a salary purge to open up room for
Rose, Harrington among Travelers leaders >>
Cromwell, CT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Justin Rose birdied five holes in a row on the
back nine Thursday to post a six-under 64 and join Padraig Harrington and two
other players in the lead after the first round of the Travelers Championship.
Char
Wolves draft Booker at No. 23 >>
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -The Minnesota Timberwolves have taken Clemson forward Trevor Booker with the 23rd overall pick in the draft.Booker is the first senior to be drafted in the 2010 class. The 6-foot-7, 236-pound Booker is a physical presence. He avera
Hawks pick Texas F Damion James at No. 24 >>
ATLANTA (AP) -The Atlanta Hawks have selected Texas forward Damion James with the 24th overall pick in the NBA draft.The 6-foot-7 James, a strong rebounder in college, will give the Hawks depth behind starting forwards Josh Smith and Marvin Williams
No. 21 pick Brackins headed to Hornets after trade >>
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -Iowa State forward Craig Brackins has been taken with the 21st overall pick in the NBA draft and is headed to the New Orleans Hornets through a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder.Brackins was the product of one of two selection
NHL owners agree on penalties for blindside hits >>
LOS ANGELES (AP) -NHL owners unanimously agree that blindside hits to the head will now result in a major penalty and ejection for offenders.The vote took place Thursday at the league's board of governors meeting, held one day before the NHL draft.T
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.