Blazers officially sign G Matthews

Basketball Betting Lines

07/21/2010 - Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers have officially signed restricted free-agent guard Wesley Matthews.

As per club policy, no terms of the deal were announced. However, a report in the Oregonian last week placed the pact at five years and $34 million.

The Blazers signed Matthews to an offer sheet on July 10 which his former team, the Utah Jazz, declined to match.

Matthews was relied on right away as a rookie last season, averaging 9.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 24.7 minutes per game. He played in all 82 games, making 48 starts.

Undrafted after his four-year career at Marquette, Matthews proved himself further by posting 13.2 points, 4.4 boards, 1.7 assists and 1.8 steals in starting all 10 of Utah's playoff games in 2009-10.

"Wesley is a great fit for our team both on and off the court," said new Portland general manager Rich Cho. "As only a first-year player last season, he demonstrated a lot of maturity and ability. He's already one of the best young defenders in the league and offensively he's an emerging threat. He's going to add a lot of versatility to our roster."

Vagesinsider Basketball Betting News


<< Rachel to face six in Lady's Secret
Oceanport, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rachel Alexandra, 2009 Horse of the Year, will take on six challengers in Saturday's $400,000 Lady's Secret Stakes at Monmouth Park. The 1 1/8-mile race will be the champion filly's second career start a

<< Tigers bring up Sizemore
Detroit, MI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Tigers recalled infielder Scott Sizemore from Triple-A Toledo and optioned pitcher Casey Fien to the Mud Hens. Sizemore was batting .329 with six homers, 13 doubles and 19 RBI in 41 games with

<< Reds option Owings, recall Fisher
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cincinnati Reds optioned Micah Owings to Triple-A Louisville on Wednesday and recalled pitcher Carlos Fisher from the same club. Owings, in his second season with the Reds, is 3-2 with a 5.40 earn

<< Spurs officially re-sign F Jefferson
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs officially re-signed Richard Jefferson on Wednesday, reportedly to a contract at least three-years in length according to the San Antonio Express-News. Jefferson opted out of the f

<< Warriors sign undrafted free agent Jeremy Lin
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -The Golden State Warriors have signed undrafted free agent guard Jeremy Lin.The team announced the deal with the former Harvard star and Bay Area native on Wednesday.The 21-year-old Lin averaged 16.4 points, 4.5 assists and 4.4

Szczur, Thomas headline All-CAA team >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Villanova and Richmond, the last two FCS champions, lead the way on the Preseason All-CAA Football Team with eight and seven selections, respectively. Villanova senior Matt Szczur was named in two spots, a

Liriano and Twins shut down Tribe and their win streak >>
Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Francisco Liriano pitched seven shutout innings, and the Minnesota Twins avoided their first home sweep of the season with a 6-0 win over the Cleveland Indians. Liriano (8-7) allowed six hits and walk

Longoria, Rays edge O's to take series >>
Baltimore, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Evan Longoria homered, doubled and drove in the game-winning run with a walk, as the Tampa Bay Rays held on for 5-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles in the rubber match of a three-game set at Camden

Padres place Eckstein on DL; reinstate Venable >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres placed infielder David Eckstein on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday and reinstated outfielder Will Venable from the DL. Eckstein suffered a right calf strain and is on the

Bears sign former BYU star Unga >>
Lake Forest, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bears on Tuesday signed running back Harvey Unga, who the team selected in the seventh round of the supplemental draft last week. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the Chica

FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract

Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.

NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.

FOOTBALL BETTING

Sportsbook Betting

After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

NFL Betting Lines

To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.