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09/06/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tommy Hunter steps in for the ailing Cliff Lee this afternoon when the Texas Rangers open a four-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.
The original plan was to have Lee get an extra day of rest because of his ailing back, but the left-hander was scratched altogether from his scheduled start on Tuesday.
"We're going to err on the side of caution," general manager Jon Daniels said.
So, instead it will be Hunter, who has won his last three starts. Hunter's latest win came on Wednesday in Kansas City, as he limited the Royals to a pair of runs and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings to improve to 12-2, while lowering his earned run average to 3.64.
Hunter has faced the Blue Jays twice and is 1-0 against them with a 7.50 ERA.
Lee isn't the only Ranger who is dealing with an injury concern, as AL MVP candidate Josh Hamilton will likely sit out this week with a ribcage injury he suffered while crashing into a wall on Saturday. Hamilton watched from the dugout on Sunday when the Rangers were swept in a three-game set by the Minnesota Twins, falling 6-5 in the finale at Target Field.
Matt Treanor drove in two while Julio Borbon, Cristian Guzman and Vladimir Guerrero added RBI hits in the ninth for the Rangers, who slid to their sixth loss in eight outings. However, they still lead the AL West by eight games over the Oakland Athletics.
C.J. Wilson (14-6) was tagged in the loss for seven hits and six runs, striking out five but walking four over 5 1/3 frames.
Toronto, meanwhile, avoided a sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees on Sunday, as Vernon Wells and Aaron Hill both knocked in three runs to help the Blue Jays to 7-3 win.
Wells hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Hill matched him in the third, while John Buck added a solo shot off New York starting pitcher Phil Hughes.
"It's a good win for us. We did not have a great road trip (2-4 record)," said Toronto manager Cito Gaston.
Brett Cecil (12-7) allowed three runs on seven hits and walked four over 6 1/3 innings for the Blue Jays, who lead the majors with 208 home runs this season.
Heading to the hill for the Jays today will be left-hander Ricky Romero, who is 11-8 with a 3.60 ERA. Romero picked up the win on Tuesday against Tampa Bay, as he allowed five runs (four earned) and three hits in 7 1/3 innings.
Romero tossed a five-hit shutout to beat the Rangers the last time he faced them and is 1-1 in three starts against them with a 0.81 ERA.
The Blue Jays have won five of their six matchups with the Rangers this season.
<< Twins aim to extend win streak versus Royals
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) -- The Minnesota Twins will attempt to extend their current
winning streak to four games when the American League Central front-runners
take on a team they've had plenty of success against this season, the Kansas
City Royals, t
<< Braves head to Pittsburgh for key set with Bucs
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A loss today could push the National League East-leading
Atlanta Braves out of first place for the first time since May 30.
They probably couldn't be happier to see the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Atlanta aims to maintain its ed
<< Mets resume rough road trip in Washington
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After breaking out of a prolonged slump with four solid
starts, New York Mets hurler Mike Pelfrey fell back into his struggling ways
last time out.
That is sort of how his team has been all season long.
Pelfrey will try
<< Phils eye first place in doubleheader with Marlins
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Even when Roy Oswalt is off his game, he is still pretty
darn good. The Philadelphia Phillies pitcher might get a chance tonight to put
his team back into sole possession of first place in the National League East.
Set to
Tigers hope to play spoiler against White Sox >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Tigers' postseason chances have probably gone
by the wayside. However, they will get a chance to play spoiler this week and
open a four-game series with the playoff-hopeful Chicago White Sox at Comerica
Park.
Rays, Red Sox start series at Fenway >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays can deal the final blow to the Boston
Red Sox' playoff hopes this week, as the American League East rivals open a
three-game set at Fenway Park.
The Rays come into tonight's opener trailing the New York
Phillies bring up Robertson, Worley to start Monday >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies bolstered their
bullpen Monday with two additions, bringing up lefties Nate Robertson and Mike
Zagurski, and recalling Vance Worley from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start
Monday
Villanova loses starting defensive end >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defending FCS national champion Villanova
has lost sophomore Marlon Johnson, its only returning starter on the defensive
line, to a season-ending ACL injury.
Johnson, a defensive end, suffered the injury d
Rule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games."
When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules.
The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night.
The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine.
“I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.”
The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark.
“We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.”
The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long.
“It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.”
Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play.
“You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt."
So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps?
“Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says.
Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins.
Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet.
Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter.
“If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says.
Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider.
The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason.
“We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003.
Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.
Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.
The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.
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