Padtes Hockey Betting News

<< Stamkos provides two goals, Bolts shade Ducks
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steven Stamkos had two goals and an assist to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Teddy Purcell added a goal and two assists while Mathieu Garon stopped 28 shots for the Lig

<< Pacers outlast Hornets in OT
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Roy Hibbert scored a career-high 30 points and pulled down 13 rebounds, boosting Indiana to a 117-108 overtime win over New Orleans. David West, a first-round draft pick of the Hornets in 2003, scored 1

<< K-State ends Mizzou's perfect home record
Columbia, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - For a second time this season, Kansas State ended an unbeaten string for Missouri. Rodney McGruder scored 24 points, as Kansas State toppled third-ranked Missouri, 78-68, stopping the Tigers' que

<< Fayne's OT goal lifts Devils over Maple Leafs
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mark Fayne scored 1:18 into overtime to give the New Jersey Devils a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. In the extra session, Fayne one-timed a shot from the right point that took a bounce and

Heat win seventh straight, top Kings >>
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dwyane Wade scored 30 points and dished out 10 assists, and the Miami Heat pulled away in the fourth quarter to take down the Sacramento Kings, 120-108, on Tuesday. Chris Bosh and Mario Chalmers each add

Baylor women secure Big 12 title with rout of Texas >>
Waco, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brittney Griner had 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, and No. 1 Baylor clinched the Big 12 regular season title with an 80-59 victory over Texas. The undefeated Lady Bears (28-0, 15-0 Big 12) also got a doub

Blackhawks clip Red Wings >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marcus Kruger netted the winner early in the third period and Corey Crawford stopped 31 shots as Chicago edged Detroit, 2-1, at United Center. Jimmy Hayes provided the other score for the Blackhawks,

Fisher, Preds deal Canucks rare regulation defeat >>
Nashville, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Pekka Rinne made 32 saves and the Nashville Predators handed the Vancouver Canucks their first regulation loss in more than a month. Mike Fisher had a goal and two assists, leading the Nashville offense

FOOTBALL BETTING : Crabtree's base deal: six years, $32 million

Football Betting

In the wake of the news that the 49ers have signed receiver Michael Crabtree after an extended holdout, there has been not a hint of the dollars to be paid to Crabtree.

And since this means that his agent hasn't leaked the numbers, it means that his agent feels no specific motivation to do so.

Possibly because his agent isn't all that thrilled to have his name on the deal.

So the numbers will come from sources other than Crabtree's agent. And we've gotten our mitts into them.

Per a league source, Crabtree has signed a six-year, $32 million contract. (The total includes guaranteed money, base salaries, and the one-time incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.)

The deal also includes $17 million in guaranteed money.

As reported elsewhere, the deal can void to five years based on performance triggers, wiping out a final year base salary of $4 million. But they won't be easily reached.

The source tells us that, in his first four seasons (including 2009), Crabtree must either qualify for two Pro Bowls, or he must qualify for one Pro Bowl in one year and he must participate in 80 percent of the offensive snaps in a separate year in which the team makes the playoffs.

In other words, if in 2010 he qualifies for the Pro Bowl and the team makes the playoffs and he participates in 80 percent of the snaps, he'll still need to make it to the Pro Bowl or achieve the 80-percent/playoffs in another season.

Since the chances of Crabtree making the Pro Bowl or participating in 80 percent of the offensive snaps this year is roughly zero percent, he'll have three years to get it done.

And it won't be easy. Frankly, he'll be hard pressed to make it to one Pro Bowl in three years with the likes of Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith, the other Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, DeSean Jackson, Johnny Knox, Percy Harvin, Greg Jennings, Roddy White, T.J. Houshmandzadeh in the same conference for sportsbook betting.

So, by all appearances, it's a six-year deal. And at $17 million in guaranteed money, the per-year guarantee is a tepid $2.83 million per year.

There's another problem with the deal -- it has no mid-tier incentive package. Instead, the additional $8 million that Crabtree can earn (pushing the max value to six years, $40 million) requires the kind of unrealistic, mega-star performances that no rookie is likely to ever achieve.

So while the contract paid to Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji covers five years and pays $22.5 million, he has the ability (if he's a solid player) to make up the difference between his base deal and Crabtree's five-year, $28 million haul via the mid-tier incentive package in Raji's deal.

And unless Crabtree meets the performance thresholds necessary to void the sixth year, he'll be stuck under contract for another year at a base salary of only $4 million.

There's one other area of concern with the deal. Crabtree, per the source, received no option bonus. Instead, he has significant money tied to a fairly new device known as a "discretionary salary advance," which unlike an opition bonus is subject to forfeiture if Crabtree decides in a year or two that he wants to hold out for a better deal. (We're also told that the 49ers have included language that would make certain escalators subject to forfeiture, too.)

Meanwhile, the deal falls well short of the mark for which Crabtree and agent Eugene Parker were aiming -- the five-year, $38.25 million contract paid by the Raiders to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, the seventh overall pick in the draft.

Even if Crabtree successfully voids the final year, he'll make more than $2 million per year less on average than Heyward-Bey.

Thus, as we explained earlier in the day, this is a deal that Crabtree could have done in July, which would have given him a much better chance of making a contribution to the 49ers during his rookie year.

So while the final outcome can be described as win-win, the broader view suggests that it's really a lose-lose situation.

NFL Betting Lines

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Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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