Belliard slams Nats past Fish
Baseball Betting Lines
07/02/2008 -
Miami, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ronnie Belliard clubbed a grand slam to aid
Collin Balester's first major-league victory, as Washington downed Florida,
9-6, at Dolphin Stadium.
Balester (1-0) gave up just one run and one hit with three walks and three
strikeouts over five frames in his major-league debut. The 194-pound right-
hander was effectively wild in tossing 95 pitches.
"Got the win in my first start and I'm pretty excited about that," said
Balester. "I'm just going to let it all soak in and see how it goes."
Felipe Lopez went 3-for-4 with two RBI and Elijah Dukes homered for
Washington, which snapped a six-game skid to the Marlins.
Mark Hendrickson (7-7) took the loss after yielding six runs on 10 hits with
three strikeouts over six frames. Hanley Ramirez homered and drove in a
career-best five runs for Florida, which came into the night with an
opportunity to take over first place in the National League East.
"I felt there were some good pitches there and they (Nationals) just happened
to get hits," said Hendrickson.
However, Philadelphia beat Atlanta, 8-3, on Tuesday to extend its advantage to
1 1/2 games in the division.
The Nationals put the first run on the scoreboard courtesy of Dukes, who
pulled a 1-0 curveball high over the left-field scoreboard and into the seats
for a solo home run in the fourth.
Washington doubled its advantage one inning later as Lopez's single drove home
Paul Lo Duca, who doubled to begin the frame. The Marlins minimized the damage
as Josh Willingham threw out Lopez at the plate to end the inning.
Balester walked back-to-back batters in the home half of the fifth, and
Ramirez's sacrifice fly scored Robert Andino for a 2-1 game.
The fireworks commenced in the top of the sixth.
Three straight singles by Cristian Guzman, Dukes and Delmon Young loaded the
bases with nobody out. Belliard saw 1-0 change-up and drove it out of the
ballpark to left for a grand slam and a 6-1 edge.
Florida answered with a three-spot just after stretch time. Matt Treanor
singled to start the frame and Alfredo Amezega was hit by a pitch. Ramirez
then hit a three-run shot out to left field.
In the see-saw affair, the Nationals came back with three more runs in the top
of the eighth. Dukes singled and Belliard walked with one out. Lo Duca
followed with a base hit to fill the bases and Kory Casto's chopper forced
Mike Jacobs into a throwing error, scoring Dukes for a 7-4 game. Lopez and
Willie Harris hit successive run-scoring singles to grow the advantage to 9-4.
Amezaga and Ramirez hit run-scoring singles in the eighth and the fighting
Fish brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth. However, Jon Rauch
induced a Luis Gonzalez fly out with two runners on to end the game. Rauch
recorded his 17th save in the process.
Game Notes
The grand slam was the second of Belliard's career. He hit another slam on
October 25, 2002 against Tampa Bay...In addition to throwing out Lopez at the
plate, Willingham gunned down the same runner at second base later in the
game...Dukes stole his ninth bag of the season...Attendance 12,166.
<< Brewers edge D'Backs
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - J.J. Hardy hit a pair of home runs as Milwaukee
clubbed Arizona, 8-6, in the second contest of a four-game set at Chase Field.
Jeff Suppan (5-6) benefited from Hardy's big night, collecting the victory
afte
<< Kent gives Dodgers a victory over the Astros
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jeff Kent stroked a solo home run in the 11th
inning, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers a 7-6 victory over the Houston Astros,
in the second installment of a four-game series at Minute Maid Park.
Russell Marti
<< Cook tosses gem, ends Rockies' eight-game losing streak
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aaron Cook pitched a complete game for the first
shut out of his career, and Matt Holliday was the only Rockie with two hits as
Colorado beat San Diego, 4-0, in the middle of a three-game set from Coors
Field.
<< Sonics' Watson breaks thumb
Seattle, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seattle SuperSonics point guard Earl Watson
fractured his right thumb and will have surgery Thursday in Los Angeles.
The 29-year-old Watson averaged 10.7 points and 6.8 assists, both career highs
last seaso
<< Rangers nip Yanks with run in ninth
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Michael Young went 2-for-5 and drove in the go-
ahead run in the ninth inning, as the Texas Rangers edged the New York
Yankees, 3-2, in the middle contest of a three-game set at Yankee Stadium.
Chris Da
Cain pitches Giants past struggling Cubs >>
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Cain hurled eight shutout innings,
as the San Francisco Giants topped the Chicago Cubs, 2-1, in the second
installment of a four-game series at AT&T Park.
Cain (5-6) fanned 10 Cubbies
Isles sign D Streit >>
Uniondale, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New York Islanders signed defenseman
Mark Streit to a five-year contract, the team announced Tuesday.
Streit posted a career-high with 13 goals and 62 points for the Canadiens last
season and was a r
Anderson powers Angels over A's >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Garret Anderson's two-run homer in the bottom
of the eighth inning lifted the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim to a 5-3 victory
over the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium.
Casey Kotchman, Vladimir Guerrero an
Diamondbacks send Byrnes back to DL >>
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Arizona Diamondbacks placed starting
outfielder Eric Byrnes on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a torn
left hamstring.
The move sends Byrnes back to the bench after a month on the DL wi
Habs re-sign Kostitsyn >>
Montreal, Quebec (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Montreal Canadiens agreed to terms
with restricted free agent forward Andrei Kostitsyn to a three-year contract.
The 10th overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft, Kostitsyn recorded 26 goals and
27 as
MySportsbook.com : Fortune Favors Favorites in March Madness betting?
Just like Day 1 of the “Sweet 16”, Friday’s games are chock full of some of the nation’s elite. Unlike Thursday’s games, there is a little bit more of a “Cinderella” feel as #7 seed UNLV and #6 seed Vanderbilt will attempt to move on to the Elite Eight. With powerhouses Florida, UNC and Georgetown looking to continue their momentum against lesser known teams, it isn’t surprising that once again the “betting public” is backing most of the favorites. As the early coin rolls in, 56% of Sportsbook.com bettors prefer Georgetown (-7.5) as they take on Vanderbilt; 84% of the early money is backing Oregon (-3) as they square off against UNLV; and a slight majority (52%) of the early cash is on Florida (-10.5) against Butler as the Gators continue their quest for another National Title. The only favorite the public don’t seem confident in is UNC, as 59% of the cash is backing the underdog Trojans (+8).
Midwest
#1 Florida vs. #5 Butler
The defending National Champs have been on a mission since last April. Joakim Noah and Al Horford turned down millions of dollars for one reason, to REPEAT. After a late season hiccup which saw them lose three out of four, the Gators have won six straight by an average of 20.3 points. More importantly, they covered in five of those six games. Behind their stymie defense that yields only 56.9 PPG, Butler has been a very pleasant surprise this season. As their 20-11 ATS record will indicate, “surprise teams” like Butler are often good bets for gamblers. Playing in an average conference, Butler wasn’t and underdog too often but when they were, they covered (6-0 ATS). Butler’s defense will have its hands full against a Gators offense which averages 80.1 PPG on an amazing 52.9% shooting from the field. With Florida’s tournament experience over the last few years, it isn’t surprising that they are 5-1 ATS this season, 20-4 ATS over the last three seasons and 38-20 since 1997 in tournament action.
#3 Oregon vs. #7 UNLV
As a #7 seed, UNLV is the closest thing to a “Cinderella” we have this year. If you bet on UNLV this season with any regularity, you most likely cashed in. Behind their guard oriented attack, the Rebels are an impressive 20-11 ATS this season. As an underdog they covered in 8 out of their ten games which isn’t surprising since they are 52-30 ATS as a ‘dog since 1997. The Rebels have been a consistent cover during the month of March as well. This March they are 6-0 ATS, 11-3 ATS over the last three seasons and 24-11 since 1997. Their impressive ATS trends don’t end there; versus teams with a winning record they are 15-6 ATS this season and 41-21 over the last three seasons. Although Oregon hasn’t been as generous to gamblers as UNLV this season, they have been covering consistently as of late. There is no question that they are playing their best ball of the season having won their last 8 straight up (SU) by an average of 14.5 points. Not surprising they covered in 7 of those games. It is interesting to note how similar these teams are in regards to scoring and scoring defense. UNLV averages 75 PPG while giving up 66.5 PPG and Oregon scores 75.8 PPG while yielding 65.5 PPG.
East
#6 Vanderbilt vs. #2 Georgetown
“Hoya Paranoia” is officially back! After a decent start, Georgetown has rolled through the second half of the season. Over their last 18 games, they are 17-1 SU. They have definitely improved ATS as the season has progressed as well. After opening the season 1-4-1 ATS, the Hoyas have covered 78.3% of their games. With their great interior play of Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert, the Hoyas as a team shoot 50.5% from the field. Like the Georgetown teams from years ago, they also excel on defense. Hoya opponents averaged only 56.8 PPG on 38.2% shooting from the field and an extremely low 30.4% from beyond the arc. The last stat could be of some concern to Vanderbilt considering they shoot 37.7% from long-range. Ranking second to last in the SEC in rebounding margin, Vanderbilt will have its work cut out for them against the Hoya trees. As far as covering is concerned, Vanderbilt has been almost a “sure thing” (7-1 ATS) versus good defensive teams that allow less than 64 PPG.
#1 UNC vs. # 5 USC
The Tar Heels are as talented and as deep as any team in the country. Going ten deep and chock full of HS All-Americans, UNC averages 86.1 PPG and scored 100+ seven times. Led by All-American forward, Tyler Hansbrough (18.6 PPG 7.9 RPG) UNC has a very balanced attack which can kill you on the inside as well as on the perimeter. UNC only real concern is their youth as eight of their rotation players are either sophomores or freshmen. UNC was a reliable cover this season going 20-13 ATS. An intriguing covering trend for the Tar Heels in recent years has been how they fared after non-conference games. This season they are 11-3 ATS after non-conference games and over the last three seasons they are 31-13 ATS. USC is also a pretty deep team which is loaded with swingman types. An match-up to keep an eye on will be freshman forward Taj Gibson (12.1 PPG, 8.6 RPG) as he squares off against the AA Hansbrough. USC has been a covering machine this season achieving a 21-10 record ATS. They have thrived in the underdog role, having covered 10 out of 12. When playing a team with a winning record, the Trojans are an incredible 20-6 ATS. Keep in mind, USC dedicated their season to former star to Ryan Francis who passed away before the season so as they get closer to the ultimate goal, emotion could definitely be on their side.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at this sportsbook “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
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MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined
Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.
"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."
Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)
According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.
As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).
Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.
Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at
17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.
*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007
New Clock Rules Boon for Bookmakers
By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.
"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."
While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."
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