Phillies make a quick stop at Colorado

Baseball Betting Lines

09/02/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Given how well the Phillies have played out west over the last week, they certainly won't mind staying there for an extra game. It doesn't hurt that its a matchup against the Rockies either.

Philadelphia will try to wrap up a seven-game swing with a sixth victory and also post its fifth win in a row over Colorado tonight in a make up game at Coors Field.

After a disappointing sweep at the hands of the Astros a week ago, the Phillies headed out west to San Diego and swept a three-game set from the first-place club. They then dropped the opener of a three-game series with the Dodgers, but rebounded to take the final two games of the set.

Philadelphia took Wednesday's rubber match 5-1 behind 6 1/3 solid innings from Roy Oswalt. The right-hander lost a no-hit bid with two outs in the sixth inning and allowed just a single hit in addition to six walks.

"I was a little wild and had no command of my fastball. When I got in trouble I went with the breaking ball. That's the advantage of having four pitches -- when one isn't working you can go to another one. I was able to put enough movement on the ball to keep them off-balance," Oswalt said.

Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino both hit solo homers and Rollins scored three times for the Phillies, who have won 11 of their last 13 on the road. Chase Utley had three doubles and drove in a pair of runs.

The victory allowed Philadelphia to maintain its three-game deficit for first place in the National League East behind Atlanta as well as a 1 1/2-game edge over San Francisco for the Wild Card spot.

The Phillies were unable to gain ground on the Giants due to their 2-1 victory over the Rockies last night. Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez gave up just two runs on four hits with 10 strikeouts over eight innings, but still failed in his fifth straight bid to become the NL's first 18-game winner with a fourth losing decision in a row.

Jimenez was charged with the go-ahead run in the eighth inning on a wild pitch that allowed the Giants' Darren Ford to race towards third. Catcher Miguel Olivo tried to gun him down, but the throw to third sailed high and Ford was able to come home.

Carlos Gonzalez's 30th homer of the season in the fourth inning was the lone offense for Colorado, which has lost two straight after winning seven of eight and is 5 1/2 games behind Philadelphia in the Wild Card race.

Gonzalez is hitting .515 (17-for-33) with five homers and 13 RBI over a nine- game hitting streak.

"As of now we have plenty of games against people we need to catch," Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. "We kind of control our destiny, even though we are making it a little difficult for ourselves."

This will be the last time the Rockies face the Phillies this year and that is only because the second half of a slated doubleheader on May 12 was rained out. Colorado won the first game on that day at home, but was swept in Philadelphia over four games from July 23-26.

Joe Blanton finished off that sweep with six innings of two-run ball in his first ever appearance versus the Rockies, giving his club 15 wins in the last 18 regular-season meetings with Colorado. The Phils also bested the Rox in four game's in last year's NLDS.

Blanton will try to duplicate that success tonight and improve on his 6-6 season mark and 5.15 earned run average. The right-hander has won his last three decisions though and is 2-0 with a 1.86 ERA over his last three starts. After a no-decision versus the Astros on Aug. 23 despite seven innings of one- run ball, Blanton bested the Padres on Saturday, yielding a run on six hits over six frames of work.

The 29-year-old is just 2-4 with a 6.06 ERA in 10 road starts this season.

The Rockies will counter with Jhoulys Chacin, who has settled down to win two straight starts after a rough return to the rotation two weeks ago.

The right-hander was tagged for five runs over five innings of a loss to the Dodgers on Aug. 17, his first appearance with the Rockies since July 23, but has posted wins over the Diamondbacks and Dodgers since, yielding just a single run and seven hits over 14 2/3 innings.

The 22-year-old righty is 7-9 with a 3.79 ERA in 22 games (15 starts) this season and will make his first career start versus the Phillies tonight. He has, however, thrown 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief against them over two appearances.

Vasketball Baseball Betting News

<< Mound Presence: A's lefty Braden faces Yankees again
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Oakland Athletics starter Dallas Braden won't have to worry about Alex Rodriguez running across his pitching mound this afternoon due to the slugging third baseman currently being on the disabled list. Braden, making hi

<< LPGA Taiwan to start in 2011
Daytona Beach, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The LPGA Tour announced Thursday that the LPGA Taiwan has been scheduled for October 2011 at Sunrise Golf & Country Club. The LPGA-sanctioned event will be co-sponsored by the Golf Associati

<< Skidding Indians head out west to battle Mariners
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Indians will take their four-game losing streak out west for seven straight games starting with tonight's opener of a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. The Indians are coming off

<< Twins seek to sweep Tigers out of Minnesota
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The American League Central-leading Minnesota Twins will continue their homestand tonight and try for a second sweep of the Detroit Tigers this season in the finale of a three-game series at Target Field. The Twins have wo

<< Red Sox aim to stay in playoff mix, take series from O's
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Red Sox have missed the playoffs only once in the previous seven years, but are in danger of being left out for the first time since the 2006 campaign. The Red Sox are seven games off the wild card lead and eigh

Braves' Hudson aims to shut down Mets in series finale >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Offense has been tough to come by for the Mets in their current series with the Braves. It should be even tougher tonight with Tim Hudson, the National League's earned run average leader, set to take the hill. Huds

USA finishes unbeaten in FIBA preliminary round >>
Istanbul, Turkey (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Eric Gordon scored a game-high 21 points, leading the United States in a 92-57 rout of Tunisia to finish up an unblemished record in the preliminary round of the 2010 FIBA World Champio

Golf Course Review - TPC Jasna Polana >>
Princeton, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - FACTS AND STATS: Course Architect: Gary Player (1998). Year Opened: June, 1998. Location: Princeton, New Jersey. Slope: 144. Rating: 74.8. Par: 72. Yardage: 7,098. Hole-by-Hole: 1 - Par 4 396 Yds 10 - P

Temple Owls hope to rule MAC roost >>
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -Here's a first: Temple is picked to win the MAC.Gone are the days when it seemed like a winless season for the Owls was a real possibility. Coach Al Golden says fans approach him asking for a bowl game in a warmer climate and coun

Saluki Stadium opens tonight >>
Carbondale, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Football Championship Subdivision's newest stadium will debut tonight when Southern Illinois christens $25.3 million Saluki Stadium against NAIA program Quincy University. Saluki Stadium, which sits 15,0

MySportsbook.com: New College Football Clock Rules Examined

Coaches and bettors alike are desperate to make sense of the new time-keeping rules on the NCAA gridiron. One of the big stories to come out of the Ohio State-Texas clash last weekend was Texas coach Mack Brown's criticism of the NCAA's new clock rules that are intended to shorten the duration of college football games, therefore affecting college football betting.

"They scored with six minutes left and the game was over before we had a chance to do anything," Brown told ESPN.com. "I really hope whoever made these changes will go back and look them over."

Sure, it might be sour grapes; the Buckeyes thoroughly trounced the defending national champion Longhorns 24-7. However, Brown isn't alone in giving the changes their due thought. Bettors are also wondering about them, albeit for a completely different reason. Most experts agree that the changes will result in games being shortened by anywhere from 10 to 20 plays. The obvious consequence is lower scores, with more time rolling off the clock during changes of possession. (The Ohio State-Texas game flew well under the total of 52.)

According to research at the online sportsbook MySportsbook.com, more than 18 plays a game disappeared last weekend into thin air. That's a 10-percent reduction. In 2005, a typical game had 168.58 plays. For 2007 already, it's down to 150.26.

As a result, teams combined to gain an average of about 100 fewer yards a game last weekend versus the 2005 openers. Scoring was also down by about 4.5 points (attention Las Vegas sports lines).

Of course, oddsmakers were able to adjust to the changes before the season started. Proof of that came as the over went a balanced 8-9 at My Sportsbook on Saturday.

Other angles to consider:A shorter game should theoretically result in shorter lines. Whereas Team A might have been a 14-point favorite in a 168-play game (last year), if there are 10 percent less snaps in 2007, the line should also be reduced by 10 percent (to 13 or 12.5). Of course, this is an over-simplification of the matter, but something to keep in mind.
Less possessions means a better chance the game will be decided by three or seven points. For example, what might have been a 20-10 final score in 2005 may end at

17-10 in 2007. Granted, a 24-17 game last year might end at 21-17 these days, but the former - a three- or seven-point advantage being preserved as opposed to created - is the most likely scenario.

*UPDATE* - Sept. 25, 2007

New Clock Rules Boon for online bookmakers

By adjusting the time-keeping rules to shorten the duration of college football games, the NCAA hoped to make its product more enjoyable for the fans. While the NCAA's success in this regard is still up for debate, bookmakers couldn't be happier with the results.

"We are seeing a massive jump in college football betting," noted the MySportsbook.com management team. "With all the early Saturday games (12 a.m. ET) ending before the second wave begins (3:30 p.m. ET) - something that didn't always happen before the changes - bettors are now able to re-invest their winnings from the morning session in the afternoon games."

While not all bettors will choose to roll over their winnings, it doesn't take much for an impact to be seen on the bottom line. "Not all of the millions of dollars in morning payouts get re-bet. In fact, it's probably only 10 to 20 percent," noted the sportsbook management team. "Still, the increased football betting lines window will create a ton of growth for us over the course of the season."

About MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker
Since opening in 1997, MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker has been a leader in Internet wagering, providing single account access for sports and casino play. This sportsbook has a revolutionary payment method, Direct Bank Transfer, gives players a faster and more secure transaction option for both deposits and withdrawals. This Internet Sportsbook takes pride in offering an aggressive VIP rewards program, along with seasonal reduced juice specials and high parlay payout odds. MySportsbook.com has set new standards in the sports betting industry, from their fantastic customer service, industry leading bonuses, extensive selection of wager types and props, to the fastest payouts anywhere... MySportsbook.com is America's Sportsbook! Open an account today at MySportsbook.com Sports Casino Poker, or call toll-free 1-866-238-6648

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your Sportsbook accepts Master Card needs.

NFL Football Betting : Odds on NFL Division to Win the Super Bowl

NFL Super Bowl Betting

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.