Toronto officially signs Kleiza

Basketball Betting Lines

07/26/2010 - Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Raptors have signed forward Linas Kleiza to a multi-year contract.

Per team policy, no details of the deal were announced.

The Raptors had signed Kleiza to an offer sheet that was not matched by his former team, the Denver Nuggets, and assumed his rights on July 17.

The former Missouri Tiger played with Olympiakos in Greece last season and averaged 14 points and 5.1 rebounds in 31 games. He helped lead Olympiakos to the Euroleague Championship game in Paris and contributed 17.1 points and 6.5 boards in 22 Euroleague contests.

Kleiza spent the first four years of his career in the NBA with Denver and averaged 8.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 301 games.

"We are very happy to add a tough-minded, hard-nosed forward who will certainly get a chance to contribute given the departure of Hedo Turkoglu," said general manager Bryan Colangelo. "Linas has that unique inside/outside game that makes him a tough cover at a couple of different positions."

The Lithuanian-born Kleiza was originally selected by Portland with the 27th pick in the 2005 NBA Draft.

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2007 NFL Football Betting Preview


“You play to win the game!”

Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.

The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.

The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.

Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?

Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.

New York Giants betting lines

Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.

Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.

Dallas Cowboys betting lines

Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.

The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.

Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.

Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.

Oakland Raiders betting lines

This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.

First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”

The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason. 

Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.

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