O's hope to continue success under new manager vs. White Sox
Baseball Betting Lines
08/06/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Baltimore Orioles passed their first test under new manager Buck Showalter with flying colors. Their next challenge figures to be a little bit tougher, however, with the American League Central-leading Chicago White Sox invading Camden Yards for a four-game series that begins this evening.
The Orioles excelled in their first series with Showalter at the helm, taking all three meetings with the fading Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to start a current seven-game homestand off on a very positive note. The club showed some resolve as well in Thursday's finale, bouncing back from squandering a four- run lead to claim a 5-4 victory on Cesar Izturis' one-out single in the bottom of the ninth inning.
After the Angels scored four times in the top of the eighth inning to erase a 4-0 deficit, Baltimore's Matt Wieters smacked a leadoff double in the bottom of the ninth and pinch-runner Julio Lugo advanced on a sacrifice bunt before Izturis singled up the middle to knock in the winning run and give the Orioles their first sweep of Anaheim since July 17-20, 2003.
"I think [Showalter] really sparked those guys," Angels outfielder Torii Hunter said. "We just couldn't come through. They just seemed like they wanted it more."
Nick Markakis added a solo homer and drove in two runs for Baltimore, while rookie Jake Arrieta turned in 7 2/3 strong innings despite not factoring in the final outcome. The young right-hander retired the first 14 batters he faced and took a shutout into the eighth inning before being charged with a pair of runs allowed.
Jason Berken (3-2) claimed the win after recording the final out of the top of the eighth and following up with a scoreless ninth.
Now the Orioles will attempt to maintain their newfound momentum when they take on a formidable Chicago squad that comes in having won nine of its last 11 contests and owns a 1 1/2-game lead over second-place Minnesota in the AL Central standings.
The White Sox won three of four matchups in Detroit in their most recent set and garnered a series win with a 6-4, 11-inning decision on Thursday. Chicago overcame another shaky showing from closer Bobby Jenks, who surrendered a game-tying three-run homer to the Tigers' Ryan Raburn in the bottom of the ninth that raised his earned run average to 10.57 since the All-Star break.
Chicago went back in front on Mark Kotsay's two-run triple in the top of the 11th, and Sergio Santos threw two scoreless innings in relief of Jenks to earn his first major league win.
Kotsay, who's batting just .223 on the season, had a two-run homer earlier in the game and finished 3-for-5 for the White Sox, while Juan Pierre added an RBI single as part of a two-hit afternoon.
"It's not easy," said Kotsay of his slump. "Anytime you struggle you get to see the true character of somebody, and hopefully in this locker room these guys know the amount of effort, the amount of work I put in just to help this ball club and [Thursday] it's all good."
Jenks' blown save cost Freddy Garcia a chance of earning his 11th win of the year after the veteran starter held the Tigers to one run and five hits over the first 6 2/3 innings.
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen will be seeking a similar performance out of tonight's starter John Danks, the team's leader with 11 victories thus far in 2010. The usually-steady left-hander wasn't at his best last time out, however, allowing five runs in 6 2/3 innings to take a loss against Oakland this past Saturday.
Prior to that defeat, Danks had won four straight starts and yielded one run or less in three of those games. The 25-year-old has posted a solid 3.40 ERA for the season and has limited the opposition to a .221 average at the plate.
Danks also owns a 4-2 record with a 4.11 ERA in six lifetime encounters with Baltimore and beat the Orioles three times last season, including an April 22, 2009 showdown at Camden Yards in which he delivered seven innings of one-run ball.
Brad Bergesen gets the call for Baltimore in the opener and takes another stab at ending a winless streak that's gone on for more than 2 1/2 months now. The sophomore right-hander is 0-7 with a 7.26 ERA in 11 starts since a May 12 verdict over Seattle, with the Orioles prevailing as a team in only one of those tilts.
Bergesen did pitch well enough to win in his most recent assignment, however, working seven innings and giving up just two runs on five hits Saturday at Kansas City. He left with a 3-2 lead, but ended up with a no-decision after the Royals scored twice against the Baltimore bullpen in the eighth.
The 24-year-old went 1-1 in a pair of starts against the White Sox during a seven-win rookie campaign in 2009, with the victory taking place at Camden Yards in his major league debut. Bergesen permitted three runs -- one earned -- and just four hits over 5 2/3 innings in that April 21, 2009 clash.
The Orioles won five of nine overall meetings with the White Sox last season, including two of three tests held in Baltimore.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The last time the Philadelphia Phillies squared off against the despised New York Mets more than two months ago, they didn't score a run over the three-game road series. The two National League East inhabitants will do bus
<< Promising goalies poised for breakout
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another victim this past week when the Chicago Blackhawks traded Stanley Cup
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Charleston, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defending Ohio Valley Conference champion
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G
<< Alabama tops coaches' preseason poll
McLean, VA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Defending national champion Alabama sits atop
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Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram returns at running back for the Crimson Tide
and quarterback Greg McElroy is als
<< Relentless Randle ready to enter Hall of Fame
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(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Both the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Detroit Tigers are fading in their respective division-title races. Good news is that one club has to win tonight when the two teams kick off a three-game series at Comeric
First meets worst as Padres, D-Backs begin divisional set >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres have a favorable road matchup this
weekend against the NL West-rival Arizona Diamondbacks, but the desert hasn't
been too kind lately for the current division leaders.
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Rolling Twins start series with last-place Indians >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Both the Minnesota Twins and Francisco Liriano will be
aiming to continue their respective hot streaks when the American League
Central contenders start up a three-game series with the Cleveland Indians
tonight at Progressive
Wainwright, Cards take act to the road in opener with Marlins >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright owns a
perfect mark at Busch Stadium this season. Now it's time for him to step up
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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.
Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.
According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).
Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.
''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.
Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.
''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''
Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.
”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.
For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL BETTING
NCAA Football BettingMany fans thought it was the best side in the nation by the end of last season. This year, the polls have built on Georgia's momentum and granted it the No. 1 preseason ranking, followed by Ohio State and USC. (The Associated Press has the Buckeyes at No. 2; USA Today took the Trojans.)
"To have people believing we have one of the best teams in the nation going into this thing, it's exciting for us," Bulldogs coach Mark Richt told the AP. "I don't think anything is guaranteed, but we certainly have put ourselves in position where at least the college football world thinks we're pretty good."
Georgia Bulldogs - 9.5 wins
There's no question they're good, but the Bulldogs have one of the toughest 12-game schedules in the nation, mostly because they play in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference. Away games at No. 15 Arizona State, No. 7 LSU and No. 10 Auburn loom large, with contests between the hedges versus No. 24 Alabama and No. 18 Tennessee as well as the World's Largest Cocktail Party in Jacksonville versus No.5 Florida.
Ohio State Buckeyes - 10 wins
Like the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes also have a number of tough road contests in 2008. After two scrimmages dressed up as real games versus Youngstown State and Ohio, it's off to face USC. Other tough away games include No.13 Wisconsin in October and No. 20 Illinois in November. Granted, it should be pretty easy sledding at the Horseshoe. In fact, the only ranked team that travels to Columbus is No. 22 Penn State, in October.
USC Trojans - 10.5 wins
A similarly light schedule awaits the Trojans of Southern California, which is why the oddsmakers' total is one win more and the over is currently commanding -150 odds. Pete Carroll's troops only play three ranked teams in 2008, and all of those games are at home. After what should be an easy trip to Virginia to start things off on Aug. 30, the Trojans get two weeks to prepare for Ohio State in Los Angeles. Their two other ranked opponents, No. 21 Oregon and No. 15 Arizona State, visit in consecutive weeks to start the month of October. After that, the competition eases up. Of course, this is the same highly-touted school that lost to Stanford in 2007 and Oregon State in 2006. And don't discount the fact that USC plays its biggest rivals, Notre Dame and UCLA, back-to-back to close out the regular season. On paper, the Trojans are far superior, but motivation will be high for the Irish and Bruins, especially if their historic foes are in national-title contention.
Odds to Win the Heisman Trophy
Tim Tebow, Florida - 7/2
He won it last year, so it's no surprise he's the favorite to do it again, making him just the second player to go back-to-back. Ohio State's Archie Griffin turned the trick in 1974 and 1975, and Tebow's coach, Urban Meyer, is pretty sure his star quarterback can match the Buckeyes legend.
"There has never been anyone quite like him," Meyer told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I am very lucky to be his coach."
Chris Wells, Ohio State - 5/1
The man they call "Beanie" was a star recruit out of high school, so it's not like nobody knew who the star tailback was before he rushed for 576 yards as a freshman in 2006 and 1,609 as a sophomore. But perhaps his finest moment came last year versus Michigan when he rumbled for 222 yards and two touchdowns in the Buckeyes' 14-3 victory over the hated Wolverines.
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia - 8/1
If the Bulldogs are to live up to expectations, they'll need a huge effort from their sophomore running back. This might be the last year of college ball for Moreno, who rushed for 1,334 yards and for 14 touchdowns as a freshman, while adding 253 receiving yards on 20 receptions, so expect big things for the man from Belford, N.J.
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