Reds, Cards close big series in St. Louis
Baseball Betting Lines
09/05/2010 - (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 go for a series win in the rubber match of their three-game series at Busch Stadium.
However, the Reds will be facing one of the best pitchers in baseball in righty Chris Carpenter, who has owned them over the course of his career, posting an 11-3 mark to go along with a 2.00 earned run average in 17 starts.
Carpenter, though, absorbed the loss on Tuesday in Houston, as the Astros reached him for three runs (two earned) and six hits in seven innings. He is 14-5 on the year with a 2.92 ERA, but has lost two of his last three decisions.
The Reds upped their division lead on the Cards to eight on Saturday, as Travis Wood turned in seven solid innings and hit his first career home run to lead Cincinnati to a 6-1 victory. Jonny Gomes had a two-run double in the first inning and Brandon Phillips made it a three-run margin in the second with an RBI single, as the Reds won for the seventh time in nine contests.
Wood (5-2) allowed an unearned run and five hits while fanning three and walking two for his fifth win in seven starts. It was his first career matchup against the Cardinals, who had won five in a row in the series.
Adam Wainwright (17-10) again failed in his bid to become the National League's first 18-game winner. In fact, the right-hander extended a career- high losing streak to four consecutive starts while St. Louis fell for the ninth time in 11 tries.
"I don't like losing one game, much less four in a row," Wainwright said. "I won't lose again."
Wainwright was charged with seven hits and five runs, only two of those earned, while fanning six and walking one over five innings. Matt Holliday had two hits and an RBI for the Cards, who opened the series Friday with a 3-2 win.
Hoping to pitch the Reds to a series win this afternoon will be righty Homer Bailey, who is 3-2 with a 4.92 ERA. Bailey did not get a decision on Monday against Milwaukee, as he allowed four runs in six innings of his team's 5-4 win.
Bailey did not get a decision the last time he faced the Cards and is just 1-3 in six starts against them with a 6.04 ERA.
The Cardinals have won 11 of 17 versus the Reds this year.
(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
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<< Giants, Dodgers play rubber match at Chavez Ravine
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at Dodgers St
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(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
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(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
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Davies wins for third time in Austria >>
Wiener Neustadt, Austria (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Laura Davies carded a two-under 70
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Wattel becomes second amateur winner in 2010 on Challenge Tour >>
La Wantzenau, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Amateur Romain Wattel closed with
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Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There are no ifs, ands or buts about it,
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Think
Pro Football Odds : NFC SOUTH BETTING ODDS
NFL betting action is back! At MySportsbook, all of the pro football odds are posted for the NFC North. Check out how we see the four teams in this cloudy division stacking up this year in the chase for the playoffs! Green Bay Packers (+125) - With QB Aaron Rodgers leading the offense and DC Dom Capers working his magic on defense, the Packers are a real force to be reckoned with.
Virtually nothing changed on this offense for Green Bay from last year to this year, save for the addition of rookie OT Brian Bulaga to the bunch. Expect more huge numbers from the Pack, and a relatively favorable schedule should get them over the hump and into the playoffs once again this season. My NFL Betting Predictions: 11-5, 1st place in NFC North Minnesota Vikings (+130) - There are still too many unknowns about the Vikes this year. There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not.
There is a huge difference between QB Brett Favre and either Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels under center. Plus, is Favre comes back, is he really going to be able to keep his pick total under double digits again? Depth at running back looked like it might have been an issue with RB Chester Taylor fleeing in free agency, but drafting RB Toby Gerhart should pick up the difference. This defense is still suitable, but with a first place schedule, making the playoffs is going to be very tough regardless of whether #4 comes back or not. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
Chicago Bears (+350) - The Bears are probably a bit of an overhyped team once again this year.No, we don't think it is plausible for QB Jay Cutler to have as bad of a season as he did last year, and we do think the additions of RB Chester Taylor and DE Julius Peppers are going to help immensely, but there's still something in the water in the Windy City that we aren't so sure about. Maybe Chicago finds its way to .500... but then again, maybe it doesn't. If Favre comes back, Cutler might be the worst quarterback in this division this year.
Detroit Lions (+1500) - The Lions are probably once again going to be the whipping boys for the rest of the teams in the NFC North, but they aren't just going to roll over and die once again. There is some real talent amassing on this team offensively, as the combination of QB Matt Stafford, RB Jahvid Best, WR Calvin Johnson, and TE Brandon Pettigrew should put a bunch of points on the board if the offensive line can even remotely hold up. The questions really lie on defense, where it feels like DT Ndamukong Suh is going to be trying to stop opposing teams all by himself. This year should show some marked improvement in the Motor City.
The Patriots will make NFL betting fans a lot of money this season, get in early and enjoy the cash.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.
NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl
The AFC South and the NFC East are the favorite divisions to have the next Super Bowl champ among them in the NFL betting odds. But more down to the point, these football odds are in favor of the Indianapolis Colts, by far the strongest team in the AFC South, and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFC East.
Most sports fans would agree that these two teams top the list to win it all before the season even begins. In the BetUS Sportsbook football futures, the Colts are +800 in the odds to win the Super Bowl, while the Cowboys are sitting at +1000 and the Super Bowl XLIV champions New Orleans Saints at +900. In the AFC South, the Colts won the division for five straight years after the 2002 realignment, before the Tennessee Titans won it in 2008. But the Colts came back strong in 2009 to win the division again en route to the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are the favorite to win the NFC East, as well as to advance far into the post season. The Cowboys won the division last season before their horrendous loss in the NFC Divisional playoff to Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings. But the ‘Boys will take that loss humbly and be ready for the playoffs this time around.
The NFC South is also very strong, at +600 in the NFL futures, considering that it is home to the defending Super Bowl champions. However, some predictions have the Atlanta Falcons with possibilities of claiming the divisional title this season in place of the Saints, as no team has won back-to-back division championships since the division realignment took place. Let’s not overlook the AFC North at +500. As TO goes to Cincinnati to join Chad OchoCinco and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, this team looks to claim the division title again. And it is likely they will do so. The Bengals lost in the AFC Wild Card spot in a hard-fought battle against the New York Jets last season. Lest not forget the Pittsburgh Steelers, the XLII Super Bowl Champions… All these teams present interesting odds and matchups for the upcoming season, but the safest and surest bet seems to be with the Colts in the AFC South and the Cowboys in the NFC East. Play this weekly NFL Football Contestto see if you can win.
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your NFL football betting needs.