Denmark's Group D climb must start with New Zealand

Soccer Betting Lines

09/14/2007 - Wuhan, China (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After dropping its opener to China on a late goal, Denmark faces an uphill battle to advance out of Group D.

Denmark is ranked sixth in the world - the highest in the group - but already trails China and Brazil by three points. The Danes can take the "first step against New Zealand" on Saturday, coach Kenneth Heiner-Moller told FIFA.com.

A step that has to result in a win with Brazil awaiting in its final game of the group stage.

"The result aside, we played a great game against China and our confidence is still intact," Heiner-Moller said.

Denmark erased a two-goal deficit in the second half against the Chinese as Dot Eggers Nielsen and Cathrine Paaske Sorensen scored. China escaped with all three points thanks to a goal in the 88th minute.

Denmark should be able to put the disappointing loss behind it Saturday. New Zealand was completely dominated in a 5-0 loss to Brazil on Wednesday.

New Zealand rarely had possession of the ball in the first half, and rarely had more than one touch at a time in the second half when Brazil scored four of its goals.

Denmark proved its offense was solid in the loss to China, and that was with its top striker on the bench for the first 75 minutes of the match.

All-time leading scorer Merete Pedersen is nursing an injury, and her status for the match is questionable, but she may just get more rest and hope to be fit for the crucial Brazil match on Wednesday.

"We know that Denmark are a very well-organized side who move the ball around well and work hard up front. They will be tough opponents for sure, but we'll (be) doing everything we can to get something out of this game," New Zealand coach John Herdman told FIFA.com.

New Zealand fell to 0-4 all time in the World Cup with its loss to Brazil. The team was making its first appearance since the inaugural event in 1991.

But it's a game New Zealand has to forget. The team created almost no offense, and looked overmatched. If New Zealand is going to shed the label of the worst team in the tournament - and have any hopes of advancing - it needs a result against Denmark.

"To stay in the tournament we simply have to win and that means we'll be more attack-minded than in our first game," Herdman said.

Denmark and New Zealand have played one other time in the World Cup, a 3-0 win by the Danes in 1991.

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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.