Nats win slugfest against Phils
Baseball Betting Lines
09/03/2008 -
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ronnie Belliard had the go-ahead RBI
single in the eighth and Cristian Guzman hit a bases-clearing, three-run
double to put the game out of reach as the Nationals notched a 9-7 victory
over the Philadelphia Phillies in the rubber match of a three-game set from
Nationals Park.
Ryan Zimmerman homered and doubled to finish with two RBI and as many runs
scored while Guzman finished with three hits and a pair of runs scored for
Washington, which has won an impressive eight of nine overall. Saul Rivera
(5-5) got the win after pitching a scoreless eighth.
Ryan Howard belted two home runs with four RBI while Chase Utley finished with
a pair of RBI for Philadelphia, which dropped two of three in the series to
fall three game back of the NL-East leading New York Mets, who posted a 9-2
win over Milwaukee earlier Wednesday.
Starter Joe Blanton recorded his sixth straight no-decision after allowing
four runs on six hits and three walks over four-plus innings for the Phils,
while Odalis Perez surrendered three runs on four hits over five frames
without walking a batter while striking out five for the Nats.
Chad Durbin (5-4) remained in the eighth after coming on in the seventh and
allowed a leadoff single to Kory Casto. Pete Orr came on as a pinch-runner,
moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a Roger Bernadina single.
Pinch-hitter Belliard then gave Washington the lead with a single to left.
J.C. Romero entered for Durbin with one away and Bernadina stole third before
Emilio Bonifacio walked to load the bases. Guzman then stroked a bases-
clearing double to the gap in left-center and the Nats had a 9-5 advantage.
Closer Joel Hanrahan took the mound in a non-save situation in the ninth and
gave up an RBI double to Matt Stairs and a sac fly to Utley, but was able to
ultimately preserve the win.
Philadelphia jumped out to an early lead in the opening frame when Howard
deposited a blast over the wall in right-center for a 2-0 advantage.
The Nationals, however, evened the score in the next inning. Guzman got a
base-hit through the left side and scored on a Zimmerman double to right.
Lastings Milledge popped up for the second out, but Casto came through with a
two-out RBI single to left.
The Phillies took the lead in the third when Jimmy Rollins got on with a
single, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored easily when Utley ripped a
triple to deep center.
The Nationals came back to take a 4-3 lead after loading the bases with no
outs in the fifth. Blanton exited in favor of Ryan Madson, who allowed a pair
of runs to score on consecutive fielder's choice groundouts from Milledge and
Elijah Dukes before getting Casto on strikes to end the inning.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Howard cranked out his second two-run
homer of the night for a 5-4 Phillies lead off the newly inserted Marco
Estrada.
Scott Eyre got two quick outs to start the seventh before Durbin entered to
face Zimmerman, who tied the game with a home run over the center field wall.
Game Notes
The Phillies lead the season series 9-6 including a 6-3 mark in Washington...
Philadelphia is 3-4 so far on a 10-game trek and open a big three-game series
against the Mets at Shea Stadium on Friday...Howard hit his 38th and 39th home
runs of the season and now has a NL-best 119 RBI.
<< Cubs' Zambrano to miss next start
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano will miss
his next scheduled start Sunday against Cincinnati after meeting with the
team's orthopedic specialist Wednesday.
Manager Lou Piniella announced the decis
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Oklahoma City, OK (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oklahoma City's NBA team will be called
the Thunder.
The franchise formally revealed the nickname and logo at an afternoon press
conference on Wednesday.
"The bold, traditional lettering and shiel
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Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - University of Cincinnati quarterback Ben
Mauk had his request for reconsideration on his original waiver for a sixth
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The NCAA re
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Around FCS: Week 2 - Top 25 Predictions >>
Philadelphia (The Sportsbook Betting Lines) -
SATURDAYS TOP-25 GAMES
Jacksonville (1-0) at No.1 Appalachian State (0-1) 3:30 p.m.
Appalachian State will look to rebound after their trip into the Bayou,
evacuating in time to avoid Hurricane Gustav
ChiSox grind out win against Tribe >>
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alexei Ramirez hit a two-run home run as the
Chicago White Sox avoided a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cleveland
Indians with a 4-2 win at Progressive Field.
Orlando Cabrera drove in a run while
BoSox rally late to edge O's >>
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Alex Cora scored the game-winning run in the
ninth to help the Boston Red Sox to a 5-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles to
complete a three-game sweep at Fenway Park.
In the ninth, Cora led off with a si
The brothers LaRoche lead the Bucs past the Reds >>
Cincinnati, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brothers Adam and Andy LaRoche each had RBI
singles in the eighth inning to boost Pittsburgh to a 6-5 victory over the
Cincinnati Reds.
Adam LaRoche, who ended an 0-for-16 slump, drove in two runs,
Blue Jays edge Twins in extras >>
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - John McDonald's hit in the bottom of the 11th
inning sent Toronto past Minnesota, 5-4, in the middle contest of a three-game
set from Rogers Centre.
Eddie Guardado (3-4) allowed a leadoff double to Scott Role
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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Online Sportsbook Football Betting
Colts give the ‘D’ its due
The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.
They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.
"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."
Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smith and Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.
New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.
Not so sound on the ground
If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.
Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com
“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.
Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.
Brees says bring it on
Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.
Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.
Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship game.
"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."
SportsBooks ready for a shootout
Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.
“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”
New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.
The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.
“Yards are great,” running back Deuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”
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