Soto's homer in eighth lifts Cubs past Astros
Baseball Betting Lines
09/06/2010 -
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Geovany Soto's two-out homer in the eighth
proved to be the difference, as the Chicago Cubs opened a three-game series
against the Houston Astros with a 5-4 victory at Wrigley Field.
Soto launched his 17th home run of the season and the 10th go-ahead shot of
his career, as the Cubs improved to 9-4 under interim manager Mike Quade.
Marlon Byrd added a two-run shot, while Jeff Baker and Blake DeWitt each drove
in a run in the win.
Casey Coleman allowed four runs, eight hits and five walks in a six-inning
start, and Andrew Cashner (2-5) earned the win for a scoreless eighth inning.
Carlos Marmol notched his 28th save with a perfect ninth.
Chris Johnson homered for the Astros, who came into this series with 11 wins
in their last 14 games. Michael Bourn added two hits and two walks, while Jeff
Keppinger and Hunter Pence each drove in a run.
Wandy Rodriguez wasn't involved in the decision after yielding four runs and
eight hits while walking one and fanning six in seven innings. Wilton Lopez
(5-2) gave up Soto's homer to take the loss.
After Cashner retired the Astros in order to keep the game tied heading to the
bottom of the eighth, Soto launched a pitch out of the stadium and onto the
streets of Chicago beyond left-center for a 5-4 Cubs lead.
Marmol closed out the game by retiring Bourn, Keppinger and Pence in order.
Houston jumped on top early with a four-run second inning.
Johnson began the inning with his seventh homer, and Matt Downs drew a one-out
walk. Jason Castro followed with a base hit that left runners on second and
third after Alfonso Soriano's error in left.
Rodriguez flied out, but Downs scored and Castro went to third on a wild
pitch. Bourn walked to put runners on the corners, and Keppinger and Pence
followed with back-to-back RBI singles to put the Astros ahead, 4-0.
The Cubs answered with three runs in the third and one in the fifth to tie the
game.
Darwin Barney started the third with a single and moved to second when
Rodriguez uncorked a wild pitch with two outs. DeWitt plated Barney with an
infield single, and Byrd launched a two-run homer to left for a 4-3 contest.
Another base hit from Barney began the fifth, and two batters later, Baker's
RBI double tied the game.
Game Notes
The Astros still lead the season series, 8-5...The Cubs recorded nine hits,
the first time they had under 10 in eight games...Chicago has won four of five
overall.
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5-4, in the opener of a three-game series at Target Field.
Thome, who now has 585
<< Roberts, Orioles top Yanks to start series in Bronx
Bronx, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brian Roberts' seventh inning single drove in the
winning run as Baltimore downed New York, 4-3, in the opener of a three-game
set.
Roberts finished 3-for-5 with two RBI while Matt Wieters knocked in a run and
<< Team USA thumps Angola to reach quarterfinals
Istanbul, Turkey (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chauncey Billups led a 121-66 rout of
Angola with 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three-point range, as Team USA
rolled into the quarterfinals of the 2010 FIBA World Championships.
Kevin Durant,
<< Espinosa powers Nationals to win over Mets
Washington, DC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Danny Espinosa had the best game of his
very young career as he hit a grand slam and a solo home run to lead the
Washington Nationals to a 13-3 rout of the New York Mets in the opener of a
three-g
<< Walker, Pirates shut down stumbling Braves
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Neil Walker's two-run homer in the sixth
inning proved to be the difference, as the Pittsburgh Pirates edged the
Atlanta Braves, 3-1, in the opener of a three-game set at PNC Park.
Jose Tabata a
Bucs claim RB Blount, release WR Brown >>
Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have claimed running
back LaGarrette Blount off waivers from the Tennessee Titans and released
veteran wide receiver Reggie Brown.
Blount was let go Sunday by the Titans afte
One More Laugh claims Cane Pace >>
Freehold, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Odds-on favorite One More Laugh rolled to
victory Labor Day in the $300,000 Cane Pace at Freehold Raceway. The Cane Pace
is the first of Pacing's Triple Crown races.
Pacing's Triple Crown will continue
Steelers name Dixon starting quarterback >>
Pittsburgh, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Pittsburgh Steelers named Dennis Dixon
as the team's starting quarterback in the wake of Ben Roethlisberger's
suspension and Byron Leftwich's knee injury.
The choice was between either Dixon or
Hoffman rolls to big win at Deutsche Bank >>
Norton, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Charley Hoffman fired a nine-under 62 Monday to
roll to a five-stroke win at the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Hoffman, wearing his Celtic green, missed the course record at the TPC Boston
by a single stroke, but
Glenn, Tiger-Cats beat Argonauts, win fourth straight >>
Hamilton, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Glenn went 27-for-33 with 313 yards, one
touchdown and one interception as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats downed the Toronto
Argonauts, 28-13.
Dave Stala caught seven passes for 90 yards and a score while
Sportsbooks to bet on football
Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.
He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.
"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.
He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.
Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.
Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.
Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.
Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.
With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.
Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).
And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)
The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.
While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.
Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.
One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.
Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.
What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.
That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.
MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.
"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.
"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."
So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.
In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.
MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.
The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.
Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.
MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.
To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
American Idol Betting Odds: Season 6
The online gambling websites are in the process of deciphering each American Idol contestant and his or her chances of winning Season 6 to come up with the early American Idol betting lines.
Tim Dalton of MySportsbook.com has been locked away in a soundproof room coming up with all the latest tallies, we are told. "American Idol has become one of the most significant betting events of the year," claims Jack Black of MySportsbook.com. "Last year, millions were bet during the season across the globe, not just in America.
It's tough early on since we really do not have a glimpse as to how well each of these individuals will perform solo on a week-to-week basis. It's like Week 1 of the NFL. Pre-season means nada!
We do know the 24 finalists however.
Sanjaya Malakar is the young man whose sister failed to make it into the Top 24. He's very low key but - unless he totally flubs - will probably win over the young girlie vote for a few weeks anyway. He's too young to go all the way, according to Payton O'Brien.
Brandon Rogers - Who?
Phil Stacy is the military guy who missed his daughter's birth because of the Memphis audition. He should go a good distance.
Chris Sligh - He's got the humor and in many ways he's the Anti-American Idol much like last year's winner Taylor Hicks was. And this is why he'll probably get pretty far in this competition. He's chubby, white with a big curly afro....but more importantly, a great voice! People love "real", not "real cute" to go all the way.
"Blake Lewis should go far because of his uniqueness and looks. He's the boy next store with a twist - he beat boxes. But on top of this, he's a great singer, and I adore him," Payton O'Brien relayed.
A talented beat-boxer Blake Lewis was a hit during the group sing in Hollywood but Simon explained that this is a singing contest just before he told him he was “in.”
Paul Kim has caught our own roving reporter, Jenny Woo's eyes.
"I love the fact that there is a Korean American on the show and he is bound to get more Asians tuning into the show," Woo said from her Miami Beach estate. "There has never been a major presence of Asian-Americans on American Idol in the past. He's a hottie with a nice voice so that should help to take him far. Expect heavy betting action from the Asian community."
Sundance Head - He's not perfect, but he's got the personality that will take him through a few weeks, plus he's got the lineage (son of Roy Head - whose 1965 single, "Treat Her Right," hit No. 5 in the charts)
And the others:
Rudy Cardinas
AJ Tabaldo - the 5th time is the charm
Nicolas Pedro
Chris Richardson
Jared Cotter
The girls
"Melinda Doolittle has one of the best voices," says MySportsbook.com Reporter and an acclaimed dancer in her own right, Destiney Lewis. "It is great to see a back up singer step out like she has. The girl needs to gain more confidence but that can also be a positive. I think she will go far."
Alena Alexander - Those tears (she never seems to stop bawling) should get her far.
"Single mom Lakisha Jones I suspect will be a pretty big favorite entering Week 1 of the competition," says Destiny Williams. Jones is an excellent singer and down to earth. "She'll have a wide appeal," echoed O'Brien.
Nicole Trellis - Seems to exert confidence.
Amy Krebs - a powerful singer.
Antonella Barba
Gina Glocksen
Hailey Scanardo
Jordan Sparks
Stephanie Edwards
Leslie Hunt
Sabrina Sloan
MySportsbook.com is offering a 20% signup bonus with an initial deposit (i.e. open your American Idol betting account with $300, receive another $60 in which to bet with).
Last two contestants will be?
1 Male/1 Female +100 (a $10 bet pays $10 plus your initial $10)
2 Males +170 (a $10 bet pays $17 plus your initial $17)
2 Females +130 (a $10 bet pays $13 plus your initial $10)
MySportsbook.com is an online sportsbook accepts Visa Credit Cards and online sportsbook accepts Mastercard Credit Cards for easy American Idol betting lines.
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Bonds nearly hits HR 751, SF wins
4 and drove in
a pair of runs, and Barry Bonds nearly hit homer No. 751 as San Francisco beat
1, in the middle contest of three at AT&T Park.
6) allowed five hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings, fanning
eight and walking three.
game slide.
Bonds, who came within five homers of Hank Aaron's record on Friday, went
1 with three walks, an RBI double and scored twice. The double ...
read more
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