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Bobcats' Henderson out 2-4 weeks

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02/02/2012 - Charlotte, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Charlotte Bobcats guard Gerald Henderson is expected to miss 2-4 weeks after an MRI on Thursday confirmed a right hamstring strain.

Henderson suffered the injury during the third quarter of Wednesday night's game in Portland.

A product of Duke University, the 12th overall pick in the 2009 draft is averaging 15 points and 4.4 rebounds in 21 games this season.

<< Gronkowski limited in Thursday's practice
Indianapolis, IN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was a limited participant in Thursday's practice. Gronkowski was on the practice field for the first time since suffering a left ankle injury in the AF

<< Sundhage names U.S. women's training camp roster
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - U.S. women's national team coach Pia Sundhage named 28 players Thursday for an upcoming training camp, including 19 of the 20 players who were on the recent Olympic team roster. Ali Krieger, who tore the AC

<< Blue Jackets activate Carter
Columbus, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Columbus Blue Jackets have activated center Jeff Carter off injured reserve. Carter separated his right shoulder during a game against Anaheim on January 8. He has posted 10 goals and 17 points

<< AZ signs coach Verbeek to two-year extension
Alkmaar, Netherlands (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - AZ Alkmaar gave coach Gertjan Verbeek a two-year contract extension on Thursday, locking him up through the 2014-15 season. Verbeek, 49, joined the Dutch side before the 2010-11 season and led the c

<< Louisiana Tech RB dies at off-campus apartment
Ruston, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Louisiana Tech running back Tyrone Duplessis was found dead at his off-campus apartment on Thursday morning. The 21-year-old was in his third year at Louisiana Tech. The cause of death is not yet known and an

Indians have deal in place with 1B Kotchman >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians reportedly have a one- year deal in place with free-agent first baseman Casey Kotchman. The deal is worth $3 million plus incentives, according to MLB.com. The Indians have not confir

Packers promote Clements to offensive coordinator >>
Green Bay, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Green Bay Packers have promoted Tom Clements from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, the team announced on Thursday. Former offensive coordinator Joe Philbin left two weeks ago to become

Magic's Howard to start All-Star Game in Orlando >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic was the leading vote-getter with 1,600,390 votes and will start for the Eastern Conference in front of his home crowd at Amway Center in this month's All-Star Game. The star

Padres agree to terms with P Owings >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Micah Owings on a one-year contract. "Micah will compete for a spot on our staff," said executive vice president/general manage

Palmer leads delayed Phoenix Open >>
Scottsdale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Palmer fired a seven-under 65 Thursday to grab a one-stroke lead with the first round of the Phoenix Open suspended due to darkness. Palmer earned his third PGA Tour title at the 2010 Sony Open.

SPORTS BETTING: NFL Football Sportsbook Betting

NFL owners, already life's biggest winners, want to try their luck with the lottery.


That was the news out of their meetings last week, where team bosses voted unanimously to allow stamping state and local lottery tickets with franchise logos, if, ahem, any governments wanted to do a deal.

A shocker: Within days the Pats announced they'd be sponsoring the Massachusetts state lottery, the Skins said they'd slap their sticker on Virginia scratch-offs and the Ravens admitted they were talking to Maryland lottery bosses. In all likelihood, it won't be long before every team is a presenting sponsor of scratch-offs or just plain old pick fives. "The change in policy was approved 32-0," said NFL spokesman Greg Aiello. "So you can expect to see more deals soon."

It's a branding opportunity too big for the owners to ignore, and one a couple of dozen baseball franchises have enjoyed for years. The fact the NFL has been slower to act than those slack-brained Seligites is indicative of its complicated relationship with all forms of gambling. Consider this: Last Thursday, as the Pats and the Redskins finalized their new lottery deals, a lawyer representing the NFL argued before Delaware's Supreme Court that the state's newly signed sports betting law should be repealed.

The NFL betting is the face of opposition to sports gambling . And as much as it would like to share that responsibility with other leagues, that's not going to happen as long as more than 40% of all money legally wagered on games is bet on football. That's why the Brewers can do a multi-million dollar deal with a local casino, or the Celtics can make their own pact with the Mass lottery, and the response is, "Sweet, let's play." But when the NFL does it the stakes are higher, and everyone from NPR's Frank Deford to the Associated Press to the guys blogging at Deadspin will line up to play gotcha.

So I asked Aiello, who surely knew there'd be piling on, how the league can rail against being bait for sports bettors, then allow its franchises to be just that for lotteries, the most insidious and addictive form of gambling around. He emailed me this response: "We are not moral crusaders. NFL personnel are permitted to engage in legal forms of gambling, except for betting on NFL games. We are making a distinction here between the spread of gambling on the outcome of our games and supporting state lottery scratch-off games, that have nothing to do with the outcome of our games."

Here's where I should rip him. But, the thing is, he's right. Not to get Obama on you, but this is a complicated, nuanced issue. As much as lotteries are considered a tax on the poor, the NFL isn't a socially obligated government program -- it's just a business. Scratch-off's help the bottom line, sports betting doesn't. Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors … But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal.

Now, it's okay to call the league hypocritical when it releases injury reports, which players have told me only helps bettors. And it's okay to mutter something obscene when the league pretends gambling doesn't help drive TV ratings and fan interest and put money in owners' pockets. But when it supports other forms of gaming? Big Deal. The Bears should put an orange "C" on every deck of cards dealt at Harrah's in Joliet; the Eagles should slap their logo on roulette wheels at the Borgata in Atlantic City; the Dolphins should hold training camp at the El San Juan in Puerto Rico.

Seriously.

The NFL's problem, when it comes to the gambling world, isn't hypocrisy, it's worse: The bosses lack vision. That's why the league is picking unwinnable fights in Delaware and taking pot shots from critics after making smart sponsorship deals. Roger Goodell and his gang are acting and thinking locally rather than globally, which is rare for them, especially compared to their professional (and amateur) counterparts.

The NBA held its All Star game in Las Vegas and David Stern's kingdom didn't crumble (although the town did bring plenty of players to their knees.) I'd say it's 6 to 5 and pick 'em that Lebron will make a road swing through Sin City before his career is over.

Even the NCAA College Football Betting is more progressive on this issue than the NFL. Several years ago Rachel Newman Baker, college sports' gambling czar, opened a dialogue with Vegas bookmakers to learn about how they do business. She's visited Nevada sports books, studied their operations and listened to how they regulate action. Now she knows she can expect a call from bookmakers, who lose money when sports are fixed, if they think something sketchy is going on in NCAA games. She's not in favor of sports betting, but, as she once told me, "I know it's not going away, either."

The NFL can't seem to accept that. And until it can find peace with the idea, it'll get flack, even when it's right.

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El Duque expected to throw Tuesday

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- New York Mets pitcher Orlando Hernandez, sidelined at spring training because of arthritis in his neck, is expected to resume throwing on Tuesday.

Hernandez received a cortisone shot Thursday after leaving camp and returning to New York to have his neck examined. The 41-year-old right-hander is penciled in as the team's No. 2 starter behind Tom Glavine.

El Duque's health is a major issue for the Mets, who won the NL East in 2007 and came within one victory of the World Series. Their aging and unsettled rotation is a big question mark this year.

MySportsbook.com has the Mets as -110 favorites to repeat as NL East champions odds. 

Hernandez went 11-11 with a 4.66 ERA last season, including 9-7 with a 4.09 ERA in 20 starts after the Mets acquired him from Arizona in late May. But he missed the playoffs because of a torn calf muscle.

New York already is without Pedro Martinez, out until at least midseason following rotator cuff surgery. Among those competing for starting jobs are prospects Mike Pelfrey, Philip Humber and Jason Vargas, plus veterans Chan Ho Park, Jorge Sosa and Aaron Sele.

Notes: Mets manager Willie Randolph is excited about two new utility players he could have on his bench: Damion Easley and David Newhan. ''Their value is really all over the place,'' Randolph said. Easley can play anywhere in the infield and could be used as an emergency outfielder, though Randolph said he would prefer to keep the veteran in the infield. Newhan, meanwhile, can play second base, third or any outfield position for the Mets. ''I love versatility,'' Randolph said. ''I love guys that can give me options when I need them to step in.''

Additional baseball lines and World Series odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

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