 |
 Basketball Betting |
 |
||||
|
 |
||||
|
||||
AL West-leading Rangers continue set vs. TwinsBaseball Betting Lines08/25/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Texas Rangers seem to be cruising to their first American League West title since 1999 and C.J. Wilson is a big reason why. Tonight, the reliever turned starter goes for a 13th win when the Rangers resume a four-game series against the Minnesota Twins at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Wilson won his second straight start and his fifth consecutive decision on Friday in Baltimore, as he came within an out of his first career shutout, holding the Orioles to three hits to improve to 12-5. He also struck out a career-high 12 batters in the win. "[Wilson] just found the spot in that strike zone and he stayed there," said Rangers manager Ron Washington. "He and the umpire were on the same page all night. He threw some good changeups, spotted his fastball, threw a few breaking balls. But for the most part, he stayed off the middle of the plate and made them work for their at-bats." Wilson's 12 wins and 3.02 earned run average are both tops among Texas starters who have thrown to a 4.15 ERA this season, the lowest mark for the group since 1992. However, the Twins have given Wilson some trouble, as he is 0-2 with a 3.41 ERA in 18 games (one start) against them. He lasted six innings in his lone start with Minnesota back on May 28, and was charged with the loss for allowing five runs and four hits. Texas made it three straight wins on Tuesday, as Michael Young overcame two errors by hitting the go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning, lifting the Rangers to a 4-3 win. Josh Hamilton belted his 29th homer of the year for Texas, which has won four of five. "The last two games we've showed the caliber team we are," Hamilton said. "I go back to three things, we can do all three...we can pitch, we can hit and we can play defense. If we consistently do that on a night to night basis, it's going to be hard to beat us." One night after a near combined-no hitter, the Rangers used four pitchers to edge the AL Central-leading Twins. Colby Lewis allowed seven hits and three runs over 6 1/3 frames. Darren Oliver (1-1) threw 1 1/3 innings and escaped a jam in the top of the seventh to get the victory. Darren O'Day recorded the final out in the eighth inning and Neftali Feliz pitched the ninth for his 32nd save. Michael Cuddyer stroked a two-run double in the first inning for Minnesota, which has lost back-to-back games for the first time since August 2-3 at Tampa Bay. The Twins are now 3 1/2 games ahead of the White Sox, who beat Baltimore on Tuesday. Carl Pavano (15-9) threw his sixth complete game of the season and 13th of his career after allowing eight hits and fanning five batters. Minnesota will turn tonight to their hottest starter in lefty Brian Duensing, who owns a 5-0 mark with a 2.18 ERA in seven outings (six starts) since the All-Star break. Duensing won his third straight start on Friday against the LA Angels of Anaheim, as he allowed run and seven hits in eight innings to push his record on the year to 7-1 to go along with a 1.92 ERA. Duensing is 1-1 in four games (one start) against the Rangers with a 1.74 ERA. Minnesota swept the Rangers in a three-game set at Target Field earlier in the year and has won seven of the last 11 matchups in the series.
<< White Sox battle Orioles, seek to trim Central deficit
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox haven't been playing great baseball over the past few weeks, but were able to trim their deficit in the American League Central standings with last night's win over the Baltimore Orioles. The White So
<< Padres aiming for more mastery of Diamondbacks
<< Red Sox, Mariners set for doubleheader at Fenway
<< Yankees righty Hughes takes hill in Toronto
<< Tigers shoot for home sweep of Royals
Rays' Niemann gets the call at Angel Stadium >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays got a boost on Tuesday with the return of Wade Davis. Today they hope for that same kind of lift when Jeff Niemann returns from the disabled list to face the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the fin
Phils send Halladay to hill to face Astros, Happ >>
Cubs shoot for sweep in DC >>
Division leaders continue set in Arlington >>
Canucks sign Torres >>
Betting FootballNFL Football Betting OnlineIs 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. |
|
