Reds return home to face slumping D-Backs
Baseball Betting Lines
06/30/2009 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Right-hander Dan Haren looks for a measure of midseason revenge tonight, when his Arizona Diamondbacks travel to Cincinnati for the opener of a three-game series with the Reds at Great American Ball Park.
Haren, a 16-game winner last season, was beaten 3-1 by the Reds in his initial meeting with them this season, on May 12 in Phoenix. He gave up six hits and three runs over seven innings in the loss, which dropped him at the time to 3-4.
He's won three of four decisions since, however, beating Atlanta, Houston and Kansas City and kick-starting a six-start stretch on May 28 in which he's allowed two earned runs or fewer in each outing.
In his last start, a 2-1 loss to Texas on Wednesday, Haren gave up just four hits and two runs in seven innings, while walking one batter and striking out eight.
He is 1-2 lifetime against the Reds in five appearances, including four starts.
For Cincinnati, right-hander Bronson Arroyo once again looks for a win on the heels of a poor outing.
The Key West, Fla. native was tagged for eight hits and six earned runs in Wednesday's start at Toronto, in which he lasted just 3 2/3 innings of an 8-2 Reds loss. Previously, he'd beaten the Chicago White Sox after allowing just two hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings.
Arroyo beat the Diamondbacks for the first time in his career on May 11, allowing 10 hits and five runs in seven innings of a 13-5 triumph. He is 1-2 against them in seven lifetime appearances, including five starts.
Overall, in his last three wins, Arroyo has allowed 12 hits and four runs in 23 2/3 innings. In his last three losses, he's given up 26 hits and 18 runs in 14 innings.
Arizona enters this series after being swept in three games at home by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. In Sunday's finale, Maicer Izturis went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and three runs scored as the Angels hung on to beat the Diamondbacks, 12-8.
Gerardo Parra and Miguel Montero each had a pair of hits and two RBI for the Diamondbacks, who lost their fifth straight game and eighth of their last nine contests. Tony Clark stroked a two-run double for Arizona, which had 15 hits in the game. Stephen Drew and Mark Reynolds each knocked in a run in defeat.
Diamondbacks starter Max Scherzer (5-5) got blasted in 4 1/3 innings, giving up eight runs -- three earned -- on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts to take the loss. Scherzer had a three-start winning streak snapped.
Cincinnati was also last in action on Sunday, when Brandon Phillips went 3- for-5 with three runs batted in and three runs scored as the Reds breezed past the Indians, 8-1, in the rubber match of a three-game interleague set at Progressive Field.
Jonny Gomes hit a two-run homer and Ramon Hernandez went 3-for-5 with three RBI for the Reds, who have won three of four since dropping the previous four games.
Micah Owings (5-8) picked up the win after going six-plus innings. The right- hander allowed a run on five hits, walked four and struck out four. He had lost five of the last six decisions coming into the contest, but improved to 2-6 in his last nine road appearances.
Cincinnati swept a three-game series from the Diamondbacks in Phoenix from May 11-13 and has won five in a row and seven of its last eight matchups with Arizona.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Rays bested one of the best pitchers in the majors last night and will try to duplicate that success Tuesday, when they resume a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. The Rays knoc
<< Yankees host Mariners in the Bronx
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hard-throwing right-hander Joba Chamberlain tries again for
win No. 1 on his new home field tonight, when the New York Yankees host the
Seattle Mariners in the opener of a three-game series at Yankee Stadium.
Chamberlai
<< Indians send Lee to hill vs. White Sox
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Lefty Cliff Lee goes for two straight wins over Chicago and
three straight overall when his Cleveland Indians host the White Sox tonight
in the middle game of a three-game series at Progressive Field.
The American Leag
<< Cubs, Pirates resume series in the Steel City
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Cubs will try to get back to the .500 mark this
evening, when they resume a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates
at PNC Park.
Chicago ended a two-game losing streak with Monday's 3-1 win over the Pi
<< Boston's Smoltz tries again for win at Baltimore
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John Smoltz will be attempting to atone for a shaky debut
in a Boston Red Sox uniform when the star pitcher takes the mound for
tonight's clash with the Baltimore Orioles from Camden Yards.
Smoltz's first major
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of rookies face their respective opponents - and each other - for the first time tonight, when the Washington Nationals visit the Florida Marlins for the middle test of a three-game series at Land Shark Stadium. Th
Phils head to Atlanta for NL East clash >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies will close out the last portion
of their current road trip with the first of three straight games against the
NL East-rival Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.
Philadelphia is 2 1/2 games ahead of the
Brewers aim to extend Mets' recent misery >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - While the Milwaukee Brewers are improving their stance in
the National League Central, they're making it very difficult for the New York
Mets to climb the NL East standings.
The NL Central-leading Brewers will resume a thr
Johnson, Giants vie for another win over reeling Cards >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ageless lefty Randy Johnson seeks a third straight win and
a fifth in six decisions tonight, when the San Francisco Giants visit Busch
Stadium for game two of four against the host St. Louis Cardinals.
The Giants won the o
Seattle's Jaqua wins MLS Player of the Week >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seattle Sounders FC forward Nate Jaqua claimed
Major League Soccer's Player of the Week award for Week 15.
Jaqua tallied two goals and an assist in Sunday's 3-0 victory over the Colorado
Rapids in front of mo
Brandon Roy Favorite to Win 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year
Portland TrailBlazer’s guard, Brandon Roy, is MySportsbook.com’s overwhelming favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year odds.
Despite missing 20 games due to an injury earlier this season, Roy has definitely put up the best numbers of his 1st year peers. In 32 games, Roy is averaging 15.3 PPG, 4.2 boards and 3.5 assists in over 33 minutes of play per game. While most rookies breakdown as the season progresses (see Morrison), Roy is only getting stronger as his playing time and scoring average has increased each month.
With 30 or so games left in the regular season, Roy isn’t a lock for the award by any means. Other rookies are putting together some pretty impressive campaigns and a few could give Roy a run for the award with increased playing time. Heading the list is first pick, Andrea Bargnani of the Toronto Raptors. Even though he has started only two games all season, Bargnani is averaging 10.3 PPPG while shooting 35% from deep.
Randy Foye of the Minnesota Timberwolves could be set to give Roy the best competition NBA Rookie of the Year betting lines. With the benching of Mike James, Foye looks like he could be the starter in the T-Wolves backcourt for the rest of the season. So far, Foye has averaged 9 PPG and 2.4 assists in just under 21 minutes per game. With his new role of starter, Foye’s numbers will definitely increase. In his first game as the new starting guard this past Sunday, Foye had 10 points; five rebounds and 8 assists. More importantly, he logged 34 minutes of playing time; his third highest run of the season.
Adam Morrison, of the Charlotte Bobcats, was the favorite early on in the season after averaging 15+ PPG through the first month of the season. Ever since his torrid start, Morrison’s point production has declined each month. This really isn’t surprising, considering at 6’8” he only weighs 205 lbs. Obviously he will need to hit the weights big time during the off-season in order to keep from breaking down in the future.
Be sure to log on to MySportsbook.com to bet on the NBA. With the regular season about to hit the homestretch, it is important to point out that MySportsbook.com has the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry.
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Betting the NFL preseason
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.
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