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09/05/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Hoping to avoid a series sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Twins, the Texas Rangers may have the right pitcher on the mound today to accomplish that goal.
C.J. Wilson will attempt to register his eighth consecutive winning decision when he gets the call for Texas in Sunday's finale of this three-game series between division leaders from Target Field. The converted reliever has been nothing short of sensational since the All-Star break, having amassed a 7-0 record and a 1.99 earned run average over nine second-half starts, while limiting the opposition to a .196 batting average.
Wilson has posted a 0.90 ERA in winning each of his last four outings, including a 4-3 decision over the Twins on August 25 in which he surrendered three runs (two earned) in six innings. The left-hander backed up that effort by firing 7 2/3 shutout frames to best Kansas City on Monday, with the Royals mustering a mere two hits off of him.
The 29-year-old hasn't lost since July 11, but was dealt a defeat at Target Field back in May after being reached for five runs in six innings. For his career, Wilson is 1-2 with a 3.34 in 19 games against Minnesota, all but two of which have been in relief.
Wilson will also be trying to give the Rangers an elusive first-ever victory at first-year Target Field. After being swept in a three-game set in Minneapolis from May 28-30, Texas has dropped the first two tests of this series and was handed a 12-4 loss to the AL Central front-running Twins yesterday.
Jim Thome socked a pair of home runs, including a milestone three-run shot in the fourth inning, and finished with four RBI in Saturday's rout, while Matt Tolbert knocked in a career-high five runs and tripled twice for Minnesota. J.J. Hardy also had a big day at the plate for the Twins, with the shortstop going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
Thome's two long balls give the veteran slugger 584 over the course of his outstanding career and moved him past Mark McGwire for ninth place on baseball's all-time list for that category. The 40-year-old is now two homers shy of matching Hall of Famer Frank Robinson for seventh place.
"It's very humbling, but the main goal is where we're at as a team," said Thome when asked about passing McGwire. "If you can do something to help the team win as a group, it's about that. It's not about an individual."
The Twins did receive a strong individual performance from pitcher Carl Pavano (16-10) in prevailing for the seventh time in their last nine games. The capable starter threw the first eight innings on Saturday and allowed three runs on eight hits to earn his 16th win of the season.
Texas' Colby Lewis (9-12) wasn't nearly as effective, permitting a whopping nine runs on eight hits before exiting after only 3 2/3 innings.
The Rangers have now lost five of their past seven contests following Saturday's result. Although the club still holds an eight-game advantage on Oakland for first place in the AL West, it fell 3 1/2 games back of the Twins in the league standings, which could factor into playoff positioning in the future.
"We got to play better," said second baseman Ian Kinsler, who went 2-for-4 with a solo homer in yesterday's setback. "[Saturday] was a rough game. We've kind of done this the whole year, and we know we just have to play better."
Minnesota also owns a 3 1/2-game lead on the second-place Chicago White Sox in the AL Central and will send Nick Blackburn to the hill for today's finale. The right-hander had initially been slated to pitch Friday's opener, but was pushed back after being forced into relief during a 13-inning clash with Detroit on Thursday.
Blackburn took the loss in that game after serving up a go-ahead homer to Gerald Laird in his lone inning of work, but was fantastic in his most recent starting assignment. That came in Seattle on August 28, with the 28-year-old allowing only two hits and coming one out away from earning his first career shutout.
This will Blackburn's third start since returning from a near month-long stint in the minors, with his first coming against the Rangers in Arlington on August 23. He gave up three runs over a solid seven innings that night, but didn't get any offensive support in a 4-0 loss.
The Oklahoma native is 0-2 with a 4.26 ERA over three career encounters with Texas, which took three of four meetings from the Twins at Rangers Ballpark last month.
<< A's try to break out the brooms on Angels
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim haven't been swept in a
series of at least three games by the Oakland Athletics in more than six
years, partly due to the success Ervin Santana has produced against the team's
American League
<< Cubs, Mets conclude series at Wrigley
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Cubs try to continue their resurgence under
interim manager Mike Quade this afternoon when they go for a sweep in their
three-game series with the New York Mets at Wrigley Field.
The Cubs improved to 8-3 under
<< Red-hot Phils attempt season sweep of Brewers
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Philadelphia Phillies shoot for their sixth straight
win and try to complete season sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers this afternoon
at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies, who also swept the Brewers in a three-game set back
<< Cellar-dwellers wrap up set at PNC Park
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of struggling one-win pitchers square off today at
PNC Park when the host Pittsburgh Pirates and visiting Washington Nationals
meet in the rubber game of a three-game weekend series.
The Nationals dropped Friday's o
Rockies try to pin 10th straight loss on reeling Padres >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Diego Padres try to avoid their worst losing streak
in more than 16 years this afternoon when they play the finale of their three-
game series with the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park.
San Diego has been baseball's
Happ goes for Astros in the desert >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Newly-minted Astro lefty J.A. Happ can make it five wins in
seven decisions with Houston today when they visit Chase Field to close out a
three-game weekend series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Arizona won Friday's opener
Reds, Cards close big series in St. Louis >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It is starting to appear as if the Cincinnati Reds are
headed towards their first National League Central title since 1995.
Today, they try to put even more distance between themselves and the St. Louis
Cardinals, as they
King Felix goes for M's in series capper with Tribe >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Felix Hernandez will attempt to atone for a recent loss to
the Cleveland Indians and help the Seattle Mariners earn a split of a four-
game series with that above-mentioned opponent when the ace pitcher toes the
rubber this a
Matt Kenseth And Kevin Harvick Favorites To Take NASCAR Nextel Cup Championship
(September 15)—The NASCAR season has hit the homestretch with the opening event on this year’s Chase for the Cup taking place this weekend at the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway. With 10 races remaining to determine the Cup Series champion, leading online sportsbook MySportsbook.com today announced odds on all 10 Chase qualifying drivers capturing the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.
One of the largest sportsbook sites on the Internet, MySportsbook.com currently lists the top two drivers in the point standings as the early favorites to win the Nextel Cup. Entering the Chase for the Cup with a slim five-point lead in the point standings, 2003 NASCAR champ Matt Kenseth has been made a slight favorite to win his second Cup at 7/2 betting odds. 2001 Cup Rookie of the Year Kevin Harvick has betting odds listed at 5/2 and four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon is listed at 6/1 to capture the Nextel Cup this year.
Hoping to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father who won six NASCAR titles, Dale Earnhardt Jr. stands at 8/1 to breakthrough with his first Cup victory. Staying with the family theme, MySportsbook.com lists 2005 Rookie of the Year Kyle Busch at 14/1 to succeed big brother Kurt’s 2004 NASCAR title. While Kasey Kahne was the final driver to qualify for the Chase with a third place finish last week, the oddsmakers give him a fighting chance at 10/1 mainly due to several mile-and-a-half tracks remaining on the schedule. Despite going winless on the NASCAR circuit this season, Jeff Burton enters the Chase at 5/1 to capture the Cup title. Meanwhile, rookie Denny Hamlin is 4/1 to win the championship, while veteran driver Mark Martin enters the Chase for the Cup as a 15/1 long shot to win his first NASCAR title in his 24th and final season.
MySportsbook.com will offer comprehensive Nascar betting lines on every race remaining on the Nextel Cup series including driver match-ups, props and odds to win each race. For a complete list of NASCAR odds, please visit www.MySportsbook.com.
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Underdog bettors love the Super Bowl and, history suggests, the underdogs love them back. And the big dogs bite harder.
Even so, there is a warning in store for Super Bowl gamblers who must love dogs: The Arizona Cardinals Super Bowl betting lines might not be enough of a Cinderella to make it worth your while.
Although the Cardinals were widely panned as one of the worst division winners and least playoff-worthy teams in recent memory, their trip to Super Bowl XLIII Jan. 31 in Tampa against the Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl betting lines comes with a little more respect from the oddsmakers than you might imagine. They are a 7-point underdog at most sports books.
If you count yourself among those who covet the big dog in the big game, this isn’t exactly great news. You should have been hoping for more points. This is because the facts show that the bigger the dog, the better the bet in the Super Bowl.
Case in point: Over the past 13 seasons, double-figure underdogs in the Super Bowl are 4-0-1 ATS and have won the past three outright. In fact, the last double-digit chalk to do the deed for bettors was the 1995 San Francisco 49ers, who managed to beat the astounding 19-point spot afforded backers of the San Diego Chargers in the 49-26 romp in Super Bowl XXIX.
By contrast, 7-point favorites are 2-1-1 ATS in the same span, the last such contest resulting a cover grinded out by the Colts in their 29-17 win over the Bears two seasons ago in Super Bowl XLI.
In 2004, the Patriots failed to cover the number in their 32-29 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl props while the Rams and Titans gave everyone a refund in 2000 after the Rams posted a 23-16 win as a seven-point favorite.
So while Arizona’s run has included impressive upsets as a 10-point road underdog to the Carolina Panthers and Sunday’s 32-25 win in the NFC championship game to the 4-point favored Philadelphia Eagles, their long-shot story lacks a bit of the David vs. Goliath storyline of past Super Bowl underdogs.
While the seven-point spread represents a significant gap in the perception of strength between the two teams, it is far from monumental. For example, last season the Giants were the wild-card afterthought turned road-warrior buzzsaw, with stunning wins over the Buccaneers, Cowboys and Packers to earn their place in the Super Bowl.
There, they played spoiler to New England’s bid to become the first 19-0 team in NFL history and cemented their place in sports betting lore with a 17-14 win as a 12.5-point underdog.
In other words, the Cardinals appear to have their work cut out for them as a mid-range underdog. But in homage to the spread beaters who have come before them, here is a brief look back at recent colossal upsets in the Super Bowl:
SB XLII -- 2008 -- New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14 (Giants +12.5) – Eli Manning’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress in the final minute clinched the historic upset for the Giants, who used a masterful defensive plan to slow down Tom Brady and the previously undefeated New England Patriots.
XXXVI -- 2002 -- Patriots 20, Rams 17 (Patriots +14) – This was the coming out party for the aforementioned Brady, who went from obscure sixth-round draft pick to Super Bowl hero in one fell swoop. He led the game-winning drive in the final minute – eschewing analyst John Madden’s advice to take a knee and play for overtime – leading to Adam Vinatieri’s memorable 48-yard field goal that split the uprights as time expired.
XXXII 1998 Broncos 31, Packers 24 (Denver +12) – The first of John Elway’s two consecutive Super Bowl titles to put an end to his Hall of Fame career was an upset for the ages. The Broncos used the determination of Elway and a 157-yard, three-touchdown performance from Terrell Davis to turn back Brett Favre and the heavily favored Packers.
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