Scorching Yanks seek eight straight win in test with Jays

Baseball Betting Lines

09/04/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) -- The New York Yankees have solved just about all their problems during a seven-game winning streak that matches the team's longest of the season. The defending world champions will now turn their attention towards getting Javier Vazquez to become an effective starting pitcher once again when they take the field against the Toronto Blue Jays this afternoon.

Vazquez was temporarily removed from New York's rotation after a poor recent stretch in which the veteran hurler went 0-2 with an 8.10 earned run average over four starts. He lasted only three innings in the last of those outings and was rocked for four runs and eight hits -- three of which were homers -- in an August 21 no-decision against light-hitting Seattle.

The offseason acquisition has performed considerably better in a pair of long relief appearances that followed that game. Vazquez delivered 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball in an August 25 matchup against the Blue Jays, then held Oakland to a run and just two hits over 4 2/3 frames to pick up a win this past Monday at Yankee Stadium.

Vazquez was also sharp in his only start against Toronto this season, which took place at the Rogers Centre on June 6. He gave up only a single hit -- a two-run homer to Vernon Wells -- and struck out a season-best nine batters in seven innings to help the Yanks to a 4-3 decision.

In 16 career games (15 starts) versus Toronto, Vazquez is 5-7 with a 3.98 ERA.

The 34-year-old probably won't have to worry about a lack of run support when he toes the rubber today. The Yankees have averaged 7.1 runs per contest over the course of their seven-game surge, which has vaulted the Bronx Bombers 1 1/2 games ahead of rival Tampa Bay for first place in the American League East as well as the best record in baseball.

New York kept up its winning ways with a 7-3 triumph in Friday's opener of this three-game series, with Curtis Granderson going 2-for-3 with three RBI to lead an 11-hit attack.

Ramiro Pena finished 2-for-4 with an RBI single and leadoff hitter Brett Gardner scored three times for the Yankees, who built a 5-1 lead after three innings and sent Toronto starter Brandon Morrow to an early exit in his final assignment of the year.

"The last week or so we've been hitting the ball pretty well and scoring some runs," Gardner stated afterward."

Morrow (10-7), slated to be shut down for the remainder of the season due to an innings limit, surrendered all five early runs on six hits and walked three batters in a shaky three-inning stint.

"It's obviously disappointing to not pitch the way I wanted to pitch in the last [start] of the season," Morrow said. "I've got a lot to build for next year and I'm going to take a lot of confidence into [spring training]."

Yankees rookie Ivan Nova also couldn't come through with a win after failing to last the required five innings, with Kerry Wood (3-4) getting credit for the decision after throwing 1 2/3 innings of relief.

Nova, making his third career start in the majors, permitted three runs on six hits over the first 4 2/3 innings.

Toronto's Travis Snider collected two hits, including a solo homer in the first inning, but that wasn't enough to prevent the Jays from a fourth loss in five games.

The Yankees, on the other hand, will be trying to win eight in a row for the first time since July 17-24, 2009. Standing in their way this afternoon will be Marc Rzepczynski, although the second-year big leaguer didn't pose much of a threat to the AL East leaders a few weeks back.

New York pounded Rzepczynski for six runs in three innings en route to an 11-5 verdict at the Rogers Centre on August 24, with Mark Teixeira, Marcus Thames and Jorge Posada all homering off the left-hander that night. He also served up three homers in a brief start at Yankee Stadium during August of last season, while allowing four runs overall on seven hits in just 3 1/3 innings of work.

Rzepczynski did strike out eight in just 5 2/3 innings in his most recent appearance, which took place Sunday against Detroit, but was also reached for four runs (three earned) in a loss that dropped him to 1-3 in six starts this season.

The 25-year-old is 0-2 with a brutal 10.22 ERA in three lifetime encounters with the Yankees and 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA over four starts since being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas last month.

Toronto has won seven of 13 meetings with New York so far this season, with the Yankees having taken four of seven bouts between the two divisional foes at home.

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Sportsbook betting odds favor Europe in Ryder Cup

September 19, – Despite holding a decided edge in the all-time series, with 24 wins, 2 ties and 10 losses, Team USA is the underdog again heading into the Ryder Cup in Kidare, Ireland this weekend, according to MySportsbook.com.  The Europeans have captured four of the past five editions, including their largest victory ever, an 18 ½ to 9 ½ thumping in Michigan in 2004. Current Ryder Cup betting odds favor the Europeans to continue their winning ways; they are a 4-5 bet to take the title, compared to 6-5 for the Americans. 

Despite being knocked out in the first round of World Match play by Shaun Micheel, Tiger Woods is predicted to lead the US charge and be their highest point scorer for the week, with odds listed at 9-4 that he outpoints all other American players, including Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco to  name a  few.  Team USA has four relatively unknown players on the roster but all four are 2007 tournament winners and have posted some of season’s best performances, each earning over $1.5 million on the PGA TOUR.  They include Zach Johnson, Vaughan Taylor, JJ Henry and Brett Wetterich.

The experienced European squad includes the likes of Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Jose Maria Olazabal and Darren Clarke, who’s emotions will be tested after the passing of his wife to a battle with cancer.  Donald and Garcia are in particularly good form and each is a 5-1 bet to lead the European squad in the points race. Donald has proven he can go head to head with Woods at a major event after a run for the $1.2 million purse at the PGA Championship. Garcia’s Ryder Cup credentials prove he’s ready for battle too.

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Ryder Cup Odds

Europe
Tie
USA
4-5
10-1
6-5


Ryder Cup Top US point scorer
Tiger Woods
Jim Furyk
Phil Mickelson
Chris DiMarco
David Toms
Stewart Cink
Chad Campbell
Scott Verplank
Zach Johnson
Vaughan Taylor
JJ Henry
Brett Wetterich
9-4
4-1
5-1
7-1
8-1
12-1
15-1
15-1
25-1
30-1
30-1
50-1


Ryder Cup Top European scorer
Sergio Garcia
Luke Donald
Padraig Harrington
Colin Montgomerie
Darren Clarke
David Howell
Lee Westwood
Paul Casey
Henrik Stenson
Jose Maria Olazabal
Paul McGinley
Robert Karlsson
5-1
5-1
6-1
13-2
8-1
9-1
9-1
11-1
12-1
12-1
20-1
25-1

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Super Bowl 2009 Betting

Super Bowl 2009 Betting propositions

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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