Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
08/14/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers will play the first of three games against the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals this evening at Miller Park.
Milwaukee is just 1 1/2 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs and 5 1/2 in front of the Cardinals in the NL Central standings. The club has struggled a bit as of late, having lost five of seven contests.
In Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Houston Astros in the finale of a three-game series at Minute Maid Park, Geoff Jenkins belted a pair of home runs and J.J. Hardy added a solo shot for the Brewers, who did win the first two games of the set.
Starting pitcher Claudio Vargas gave up two runs on five hits in six innings of work, while Carlos Villanueva suffered the loss in relief after allowing three runs in the eighth.
The Brewers will send struggling starter Chris Capuano to the mound on Tuesday. The lefty hasn't won since pitching eight shutout innings on May 7 against the Washington Nationals.
Capuano, who is 0-9 with a 6.33 ERA in his last 14 starts, absorbed the loss in his previous start on August 7 against the Colorado Rockies. He was reached for four runs in five innings of an 11-4 setback at Coors Field.
Capuano owns a 4-4 record with a 5.20 earned run average in 11 career outings against St. Louis. He is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two starts against the Cardinals this season.
St. Louis has won two in a row and four of its last five games, including Sunday's 12-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in the rubber match of a three-game series at Busch Stadium.
Ryan Ludwick hit a three-run homer and finished with four runs batted in to lead the defending World Series champions. Brendan Ryan, who was recalled from Triple-A Memphis prior to the game, went 2-for-5 with a two-run homer and three RBI for the Cardinals, who are also seven games off the top spot in the NL Wild Card race.
St. Louis starter Anthony Reyes pitched six innings, allowing two runs on seven hits for the win. He also struck out five and walked just one while knocking in a run at the plate.
Taking the ball for the Cardinals this evening will be Kip Wells, who is 5-13 with a 5.26 ERA in 25 games (21 starts) this season. Wells is 1-0 over his past three trips to the hill and the Cardinals are 2-1 over that span.
In his past start on Wednesday against San Diego, Wells permitted just one unearned run in seven innings of a 2-1 triumph at Busch Stadium. He is shooting for back-to-back wins for the first time since late last season.
Wells, a right-hander, is 6-8 with a 4.49 ERA in 20 career starts against Milwaukee. However, he is 0-2 with a 7.50 earned run average in three appearances against the Brewers this season.
Milwaukee is 5-4 against the Cardinals this season, including a 3-0 mark at Miller Park. St. Louis, though, has won the last three meetings.
<< Karstens goes for Yanks against Orioles
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Youngster Jeff Karstens tries again for his first win of
2007 tonight when the New York Yankees host the Baltimore Orioles in game
two of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium.
The right-hander, who'll turn 25 next month
<< Blue Jays sent Halladay to hill versus Angels
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim target their fourth
straight win this evening when they open a three-game series with the Toronto
Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre.
Los Angeles, which will be starting a seven-game road trip
<< White Sox kick off road swing in Oakland
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox begin a week-long West Coast road
trip tonight with the first of three consecutive meetings with the Oakland
Athletics at McAfee Coliseum.
Chicago took two of three games from the A's at the Coliseum
<< Mariners, Twins continue set at Safeco Field
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After coming through with another thrilling victory on
Monday, the Seattle Mariners will attempt to continue their recent roll in
tonight's middle test of a three-game set with the struggling Minnesota Twins
from Safeco Fiel
Downtrodden Dodgers continue home set with Astros >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Dodgers will try to stop a three-game slide
when they resume a four-game series this evening versus the Houston Astros at
Chavez Ravine.
Los Angeles, which has lost nine of 11 and is 4-14 over its last
Jacobs Field no longer a safe haven for the Tribe >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Once upon a time, the Cleveland Indians could turn to
Jacobs Field to ease their troubles.
The Indians spent much of the season with the top home record in the majors,
but lately they've been getting hammered pretty good i
Cardinals in must win situation >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Cardinals have done everything they can to
stay within striking distance in the race for the National League Central.
However, the Cardinals' poor start has made it difficult for the team to make
any real headwa
White Sox back on the road after ugly homestand >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago White Sox wrapped up their recent six-game
homestand leaving plenty to be desired, much like how their entire 2007
season can be described to this point.
The team began the month with a glimmer of hope, carryin
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.
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
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting