MLB Baseball:Chicago White Sox vs Seattle Mariners
MLB Baseball Chicago White Sox vs Seattle Mariners: The Chicago White Sox (72-53) are riding a 4-game winning streak going into Wednesday matinee against the struggling Seattle Mariners (46-79). As hot as the White Sox have been, the Mariners have been just as cold, coming in losers of their last 5. This afternoon from U.S. Cellular Field, starting at 2:05 PM ET, Seattle and Chicago finish a 3-game set. At SBGglobal.com, the Chicago White Sox are overwhelming -220 in the baseball betting odds Money Line favorites against the Seattle Mariners (+180).
The Chicago White Sox continue to fight off the surging Minnesota Twins (71-54) in the battle for the American League Central division. Going into this game between the Sox vs. Mariners, just 1 game separates both these teams, as the Twins have been consistently on Chicago's heels. Today, the Twins are hosting the Oakland Athletics also in an afternoon game, which gets underway at 1:05 PM ET. The White Sox will be going for the sweep of the Mariners, while the Twins and the A's play the rubber game of their series.
This afternoon's pitching match up consists of two right-handed pitchers having very contrasting seasons. For the White Sox, Gavin Floyd takes the mound looking for his 13th win of the '08 campaign. Floyd will be making his 25th start, as he has lost just 6 games, and possesses an ERA of 3.75. In 146.1 innings of work, Floyd has struck out 103 batters, and has walked 59. Floyd will be going against the Mariners' Robert Alan Dickey (3-7, 4.92 ERA). Dickey, out of Tennessee will be making just his 13th start of the season, after making 11 appearances out of the bullpen. In the 2008 season, Dickey has thrown 97 innings, for which he has allowed 108 hits, 53 earned runs, 12 long balls, has issued 46 free passes, and fanned 55 batters. The OVER/UNDER for this MLB Baseball: Chicago White Sox vs Seattle Mariners has been set at a total of 10 and half runs.
Copyright 2008 Sports Odds
NFL Spread and Olympic Betting Odds Highlight Sports Handicapping Docket
The 2008 Olympic Games (Olympic Betting Odds) finally get underway in Beijing on Friday, but they'll have to battle with golf, football, and baseball for attention. Here's your Daily Sports Roundup...
Event of the day...
For North American sports fans the marquee event of the Olympics is probably the men's basketball tournament, with its NBA superstars and Dream Team storyline. The United States, of course, are the big favorites to win the gold medal in hoops despite their failures in recent international events. Spain, Argentina, and Greece are the biggest stumbling blocks for the Americans. There are big stars participating in the Olympic tennis tournament as well, with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal the top favorites to win the men's event. Maria Sharapova will miss the Olympic tournament on the women's side, leaving Ana Ivanovic, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams at the top of the odds list.
The soccer tournament is expected to go to either Argentina or Brazil if the oddsmakers have it pegged correctly, with Italy and the Netherlands lurking as well. The United States' Tyson Gay will be looking to outrun Jamaica's Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell to win the gold in the 100 meters. And all you javelin fans out there need to watch Finland's Tero Pitkamaki, the favorite to win the men's event.
Non-event of the day...
Of course, the first day of the Olympics means the opening ceremonies, and country after endless country parading its athletes around the stadium. About the only thing to watch for in that spectacle will be any sort of political statement by a renegade competitor, something that is being frowned upon by the IOC. Don't expect a Dalai Lama mask on anyone, although it would be fun to see him light the cauldron.
Betting events of the day...
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Also on the schedule...
CC Sabathia (5-0, 1.88 ERA) gets the ball for the Brewers on Friday when they host the Nationals and Collin Balester (2-3, 4.55 ERA). Other NL games on tap: St. Louis at the Cubs (in a 2:20pm ET matinee), Pittsburgh at Philadelphia, Florida at the Mets, Houston at Cincinnati, San Diego at Colorado, Atlanta at Arizona, and the Dodgers at San Francisco. Brad Penny is expected to return from the DL for Los Angeles. (baseball betting odds).
Over in the American League the Red Sox and White Sox begin a series in Chicago on Friday, with a pitching matchup of Jon Lester (10-3, 3.14 ERA) vs. Mark Buehrle (8-10, 4.07 ERA). The rest of the AL schedule: Texas at Baltimore, Oakland at Detroit, Cleveland at Toronto, Minnesota at Kansas City, the Yankees at the Angels, and Tampa Bay at Seattle. There are three NFL preseason games on the Friday schedule (NFL preseason spread). The Eagles and Steelers (-3) will meet in Pittsburgh, while Seattle will play in Minnesota (-3), and San Francisco will go across the bay to battle Oakland (you guessed it, -3). The Canadian Football League offers up a pair of contests on Friday: Montreal (-3) at Winnipeg, and Edmonton at British Columbia (-5).
News from the wire...
Brett Favre and the Packers finally parted ways, with the quarterback shipped off to the Jets...NBA stars Yao Ming and Dirk Nowitzki will carry the flags for their respective countries in Friday's Olympic opening ceremonies...Yankees starting pitcher Joba Chamberlain was placed on the disabled list with tendinitis in his rotator cuff....The Rockies got OVER bettors salivating when they claimed Livan Hernandez off waivers from the Twins.
Peek at the future...
Francisco Liriano will get the start for the Twins against the Royals on Saturday night...There are seven more NFL preseason games on Saturday, including Dallas at San Diego at Qualcomm Stadium...Round 3 of the PGA Championship gets underway on Saturday morning . Jeff Gordon is still the 5/1 Vegas favorite to win Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen, with Tony Stewart at 7/1, and Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards at 8/1.
offshoreinsiders.com
Rangers +145, Over 9 and half vs. Yankees
The Yankees have been somewhat notoriously overrated as road favorites in recent years, although this year that has not been the case. Sitting in third place in the AL East, and playing only .500 ball on the road, the Yanks have not wound up as a big road fave too much this year, and when they have, they have tended to win.
But on Monday at Texas, the betting odds have installed the Yankees as a favorite in the -150s range, and I think some of the old tendencies of the market to overrate the Yankees on the road may be creeping back again. Yankees' starter Joba Chamberlain is a big reason this line is so big, and Joba has been impressive in his conversion to a starter, no doubt. But he may be affected by the oppressive heat of Texas in this start, and may not be as sharp as usual.
The Yankees are also having some bullpen concerns at the moment, which could well hurt them a lot here if the game is close in the late innings. The Yanks have no clear eighth-inning setup man right now, and most importantly, closer Mariano Rivera is having health issues. He was unavailable on Sunday due to back spasms, and it's not clear at all that he will be available and in good shape to pitch for the Monday game. If this game becomes a shootout, not having Rivera for the 9th could loom large.
On the other side the Rangers have been playing reasonably well lately. The Rangers' lineup is in a good groove right now, enjoying productivity day in and day out, and they are competitive in most games they play. Texas starter Vincente Padilla is solid, and while rarely lights-out, usually keeps pace with the pitcher he opposes. Padilla is also the top money-making starting pitcher in all of baseball at the moment, a fact that might surprise some people. Some of that is due to luck of course, but he is still nevertheless a reliable guy on the mound, and a good bet as an underdog at home in most situations.
The Rangers do well against right-handed pitching in general, and I don't think Joba is likely to outpitch Padilla, unless Padilla gets crushed, a small but always-present possibility. As a hedge against that, I'll also take a bet on the Over which I think has a bit of value, considering how lively things have been offensively in Texas recently. So on Monday I'll be the baseball betting odds on Texas +145 and the Over 9 and half (-120).
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MLB Baseball Betting Odds - L.A. Dodgers at Arizona
The two teams who are battling it out for supremacy in the National League West will lock horns on Saturday night in the desert as the Los Angeles Dodgers (46-49 through Thursday) take on the Arizona Diamondbacks (47-48) in the second game of a pivotal three-game series that is set to get underway at 8:10 PM ET at Chase Field (natural turf) in Phoenix.
The teams put forward two of their best on Saturday, as Chad Billingsley of the Dodgers (9-8, 3.24 ERA) goes against Dan Haren (8-5, 2.72 ERA) of the A's. Arizona, which got off to a 19-7 start, unexpectedly stumbled along the way and all of a sudden turned a cakewalk in the National League West into a catfight. The Dodgers haven't played particularly well, and though some people will talk about how Joe Torre's "winning habits" have rubbed off on this team, the truth is that this team, which is only 25-24 at Chavez Ravine, have basically backed into this race.
The good news for the D-Backs is that they have a 21-10 record within the division, including a 13-7 mark at home, and they play the bulk of their games the rest of the way against their rather weak NL West rivals. The Dodgers are keeping their heads above water (15-14) against the rest of the division. After dropping three out of four against Florida going into the All-Star break, the Dodgers are not in great form, but whoever gets the best of this three-game set will come out with the upper hand in the division.
If Chad Billingsley is not the Dodgers' best starting pitcher, he's a contender for it. Billingsley has held the opposition to one earned run or less on ten different occasions this season. One of those occasions was his last start, when he struck out 13 over seven innings in a 9-1 win over the Marlins. Eight of Billingsley's last 11 starts have gone under the total. On April 24 he was reached for six hits and five runs in six innings against Arizona, but he struck out 12 batters.
Dan Haren is third in the National League in ERA, and is tied with Tim Lincecum for the lead in quality starts with 16. Ten of his last 14 starts have gone under the total, and he has been especially hot lately, with a 1.00 ERA in his last five outings, and has surrendered just 21 hits in his last 36 innings. In his last outing he gave up only three hits and a single earned run to Washington in an eight-inning stint, where the D-Backs won a 7-5 decision.
Arizona is not a team that is especially explosive, but the offensive woes have mostly taken place on the road, where they have been awful at making contact. At Chase Field, they;re actually third in the NL in scoring, as they tally five runs a game. We know they're going to be laying a price, but we are going with Haren and the Diamondbacks here in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.
Copyright 1994-2008 BetUS.com.
MLB Baseball Betting Odds - Tampa Bay at N.Y. Yankees
BetUS MLB Betting Odds: Pick'em (-110 each way); Total 8.5.
The Tampa Bay Rays (55-33), who have a firm lead in the American League East, will take to the field on Tuesday night against the New York Yankees (47-42) in this battle between two AL East rivals that is set to begin at 7:05 PM ET at Yankee Stadium (natural turf) in the Bronx. It's a battle of southpaws, as All-Star Scott Kazmir (7-3, 2.63 ERA) of the Rays goes up against Andy Pettitte (9-6, 4.22 ERA) of the Yankees. At BetUS online sportsbook, the game is listed as a Pick'em (-110 each way), with a total of 8.5 runs (-110 each way).
The Tampa Bay Rays are one of the great stories of the major league season - maybe the greatest. At 55-33, this team, which has always been a laughingstock, has control over the American League East, as they are four games ahead of the Red Sox. The Rays are also 8.5 games ahead of the Yankees, and have fashioned a 19-19 road record, which is more than respectable. Part of that success is that they are first in the league in road scoring, at 5.2 runs per game.
It can't be said that Scott Kazmir is off form, but the Tampa Bay left-hander hasn't been mowing down hitters like he was earlier in the season. In his last outing, he gave up four runs in five innings against Boston, a game his team won 7-6. In his last three starts, Kazmir has compiled a 5.75 ERA and has struck out 14 batters in 15-2/3 innings. But he has been sizzling against the Yankees; in his last four starts against the "Bronx Bombers," Kazmir gave up two earned runs in 24-2/3 innings for a 0.73 ERA. The Yankees have won five of Andy Pettitte's last six starts. The only loss was in his last outing, when he was chased by the Red Sox in the fifth inning, after having given up five runs and nine hits. Previous to that, Pettitte was tough to hit, chalking up a 1.00 ERA and 1.05 WHIP ratio in four starts. His last five starts have gone under the total.
Out of the two teams, the Rays have the much better record when facing left-handers, as they are 15-8 in that role, compared to 12-14 on the part of the Yankees. The Rays are 17-18 as an underdog. But Kazmir is just too strong against this ballclub. We are going with the division leaders, at -110 in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds
Copyright 1994-2008 BetUS.com
MLB Baseball Betting Odds - Texas at Houston
BetUS MLB betting odds: Houston -150, Texas +130; Total 9.5 The Texas Rangers (39-39) continue to walk the line measured by the .500 mark like a tightrope. On Wednesday night they will try to get back over that level when they take on the Houston Astros (36-41) in an intra-state, interleague game that is scheduled to begin at 8:05 PM ET at Minute Maid Park in Houston. Righties go at it, as Scott Feldman (1-3, 4.33 ERA) pitches for the Rangers against Roy Oswalt (6-7, 4.84 ERA) of the Astros.
At BetUS online sportsbook, Houston is listed as a -150 sports betting favorite (Texas is +130), with a total of 9.5 runs (the Under is -120, while the Over is even money). Houston has made a nice recovery since suffering through an eight-game losing streak, winning three of its last four contests. Last night the Astros defeated the Rangers 4-3 behind a home run by Lance Berkman and strong pitching from Brian Moehler. Berkman is hitting .358 with 21 homers, and is making a great case for the MVP award. However, if voters are looking for a player on a contender, Berkman will get little support, as his team is twelve games behind the division-leading Chicago Cubs.
Texas has its own MVP candidate in Josh Hamilton, who is hitting .310 with an American League-leading 76 RBI's. The team is first in the majors in runs scored and second in batting average (.279). But the Rangers are also 27th in batting average allowed (.281). Scott Feldman, the Rangers' starter, has managed to limit opposing hitters to a .248 average. He was hit pretty hard two starts ago by the Mets, giving up six runs in five innings, but rebounded nicely last time out, yielding only five hits and two earned runs in seven innings in a 5-4 win over Atlanta this past Thursday. Texas had lost his last six starts before that. Feldman's last three outings have resulted in games that went under the total.
Roy Oswalt had a rough outing against the Rangers on May 17, as he was banged around for 11 hits and six runs in six full innings of work. But it looks like Oswalt has been making great strides lately, putting together a 3.24 ERA in his last five starts. But Oswalt has already given up 17 homers, which exceeds last year's total and matches that of two of his other seasons in their entirety. And he has yielded a .287 average to opponents. Four of his last five starts have gone under the total. Houston did beat Texas last night, but we have faith in the Rangers' ability to score runs on the road (5.1 per contest leads the AL). We will go with Texas, the +130 underdog in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.
Copyright 1994-2008 BetUS.com
MLB Baseball Betting Odds - N.Y. Mets at L.A. Angels
The New York Mets (34-36) are now going about things with someone new at the helm. On Wednesday night they will try to get their first win for interim manager Jerry Manuel as they take on the Los Angeles Angels (43-29) in an interleague sports betting contest that is set to take place at 10:05 PM ET at Angel Stadium (natural turf) in Anaheim. Southpaw Oliver Perez (5-4, 4.98 ERA) will get the start for the Mets, while the Angels counter with right-hander Jon Garland (6-4, 4.13 ERA).
At BetUS online sportsbook, Los Angeles is listed as a -145 favorite (New York is +125), with a total of 8.5 runs (the Over is -120, while the Under is even money). Once again, drama surrounds the Mets, as Willie Randolph was relieved of his managerial duties by GM Omar Minaya in the middle of the night on Monday after the Mets had actually won the first game of their series against the Angels. Because Randolph has a good relationship with the press, going all the way back to his days as a player with the Yankees, Minaya is taking a lot of heat in the hyperactive New York media. And Jerry Manuel, who was named to step in, had some anxiety in the early moments of his "reign" on Tuesday, when Jose Reyes almost refused to be taken out of the game by him after pulling a hamstring in running to first base on a hit. This is going to be an event-filled summer in Queens, especially since, with the firing, which took place at roughly 2 AM eastern time, news is likely to be made 'round the clock.
Subsequent to being rocked by the Giants on June 2, giving up six runs after retiring just one batter, Perez has rebounded with two solid starts. He held San Diego to a run on four hits in 5-1/3 innings on June 7, and followed that with seven innings of one-run ball against Texas last Friday. Perez's last two starts have gone under the total after he pitched five straight overs. In terms of totals, Jon Garland has been involved with seven unders in his last eight starts. Last time out he had a rough time of it, giving up twelve hits in 5-2/3 innings to the Braves, in what was a 5-2 Atlanta win. He's been brilliant at times, and his team has won four of his last five starts. The Angels, it should be kept in mind, also have one of the top relief pitchers in the majors in Francisco Rodriguez, who leads the American League in saves (26) and is second in appearances (31).
Somehow I figure this is a Mets' roller coaster that has not stopped yet. But at this price, we're going to give them a chance, if for no other reason that that drama served them well a couple of weeks ago when Randolph seemed on the hook for his job, and because Perez has started to come back around a bit. It's the Mets at +125 in the BetUS Major League Baseball betting odds.
Copyright 1994-2008 BetUS.com
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